Love To Explore

Margarita Island, Venezuela

2011-05-30T16:00:00.000-07:00

This entry is long overdue, but here none the less.

My trip to Margarita Island was Feb 22, 2011. I traveled to Dunes Resort with my mother dearest and my lovely younger sister. We had a great time, even with the copious amounts of unusual rain.

I took a jeep safari (one of the recommended touristy things), and I have to say it was pretty cool. We toured the whole island, got out at different scenic locations and had a blast with the fellow Canadians in our group. I would also recommend this for others traveling here.

Another fun adventure I experienced was scuba diving, Los Frailes. The dive spots aren't the top in the world, but I did see my first squid!! Here is where you want to look online and find the best prices and notable guides. I found the prices through the hotel 2x as much as what I paid. Los Frailes is a great spot for new and beginner divers. GO EXPLORE THE OCEAN BLUE!

Last but not least, the night life... I went "downtown" to the capital, Polarmar. It was quite fun, consisting mainly of locals from Caracas (mainland, Venezuela). The prices are fair, and the music is just my style!

Overall, the trip was relaxing and adventurous. The hotels aren't anything to write home about, but the beaches and mountain views are something neat to experience.

Chiclayo to Mancora, oh what a drive

2010-09-24T09:12:00.000-07:00

Arriving in Chiclayo, on 3 hours sleep is a difficult task. We A) didn't know much about this small city and B) didn't really know the best option to get to our main destination, Mancora.

All we knew is that it was around 5-6 hours away.

So waiting for our luggage I spotted 2 backpacker looking guys (from Netherlands). I quickly asked them where they were going. Their response, "Mancora". PERFECT I thought. Now second question, How are you getting to Mancora? Their response, "no idea, you?" BAHHH!
So we quickly came to the consensus of double teaming and sharing a cab, which we overpaid for but of course talked him down and price and thought we were getting a good deal. (400 soles for 4 people in a small car, he started at 600 soles. we then get to mancora and are told it should have been 250, 300 MAX) OH well, another lesson learned folks.

It was an adventurous drive, going 160km steady with no seat belts (YIKES), stopping for "brunch" at a sketchy little place they didn't quite know how to cook huevos (eggs).... but all in all, we reached our final destination: MANCORA! We all went to the AMAZING hostel, KoKoPelli (http://www.hostelkokopelli.com/), hopped in the pool, ordered a beer and relaxed the rest of the day.

Did I mention the 2 Dutch guys are some of the funniest guys I've ever met, that was also a highlight of course :)

Lima Hustlers

2010-09-24T09:02:00.000-07:00

ONE TIP:

Don't ever get into a cab without making sure the price agreed for the trip is clear as can be!

We ran into a slight dilemma when arriving at our sketchy airport hostel in Lima. We arrive late and were starrrrrrving, and since I refused to eat the KFC down the street we asked the man at the front desk where the closest supermarket was... little did we know that it was SO far (he left that part out).. So he quickly got us a cab (clearly a friend, but assured us it was a "seguro" which means "safe" cab company) and we were on our way to the supermarket. Once on the ride the driver was saying he would drive us to the airport in the morning (perfect right?) for the same fair we received it coming from the airport to the hotel. BUT THEN started talking amounts in DOLLARS, not soles.... (not so cool).
Luckily for me I am a good arguer (even in espanol), so I talked down the price a lot, knowing it was still way too high...
So after our muy caro (expensive) supermarket trip (bananas that would originally cost 15 cents each, were now 2 dollars each), we agreed to pay 1/3 of the whole price (he wanted it all up front... NO WAY BUDDY)...

The follow morning, bright and early to catch our flight to Chiclayo, we were greeted by our lovely taxi driver. The only thing he didn't know is that I was planning on stiffing him as soon as we arrived. And that is just what we did. We paid him 1/2 of what was left to owe. Hahaha and ran away...

SO Lesson learned, be more aggressive BEFORE you get in the taxi, as apposed to while inside it...

But it did feel good to return the favour to him, someone tries to rip me off, I'm going to rip them off right BACK!

Santa Catalina Monastery, Arequipa

2010-09-23T05:48:00.000-07:00

The Santa Catalina Monastery is the most religious monument in all of Peru.

The beautifully coloured edificio (building) was built in 1580 and increased in size during the 17th century. It is over 20,000 square meters large, and each section has its own unique characteristics. There are approximately 20 nuns currently living in the northern corner of the complex; the rest of the monastery is open to the public.

It took us around 2 hours to see the whole thing, and each minute was filled with adventure and exploring.

Some history for you;

Each nun at Santa Catalina had between one and four servants or slaves, and the nuns invited musicians to perform in the convent, gave parties and generally lived a lavish lifestyle. Each family paid a dowry at their daughter's entrance to the convent, and the dowry owed to gain the highest status, indicated by wearing a black veil, was 2,400 silver coins, equivalent to US$50,000 today. The nuns were also required to bring 25 listed items, including a statue, a painting, a lamp and clothes. The wealthiest nuns may have brought fine English china and silk curtains and rugs. Although it was possible for poorer nuns to enter the convent without paying a dowry, it can be seen from the cells that most of the nuns were very wealthy.

One of the many alleys at the Santa Catalina Monastery.In 1871 Sister Josefa Cadena, a strict Dominican nun, was sent by Pope Pius IX to reform the monastery. She sent the rich dowries back to Europe, and freed all the servants and slaves, giving them the choice of remaining as nuns or leaving. In addition to the stories of outrageous wealth, there are tales of nuns becoming pregnant, and amazingly of the skeleton of a baby being discovered encased in a wall. This, in fact, did not happen in Santa Catalina, and there are rumours of the same story in the nearby Santa Rosa convent, as well.

The convent once housed approximately 450 people (about a third of them nuns and the rest servants) in a cloistered community. In the 1960s, it was struck twice by earthquakes, severely damaging the structures, and forcing the nuns to build new accommodation next door. It was then restored and opened to the public. This also helped pay for the installation of electricity and running water, as required by law.

This was their laundry area.

Music Room, me gusta!

Colca Canyon Adventure

2010-09-20T05:51:00.000-07:00

Wake Up: 2am
Bus Scheduled Departure: 230am
Bus Actual Departure: 315am
Chivay Arrival: 6am

Did I mention that it was -10 degrees celcius in Chivay? Oye!

So our Colca Canyon Day tour was definitely jam packed and early but what a great day it was!

We stopped along the 2 hour drive from Chivay to the lookout point of the 2nd deepest canyon in the world. The sighest were amazing and the sun started to shine which brought us much needed warmth!

The final destination was an absolute treat. The canyon is home to the Andean Condor (Vultur gryphus), a species that has seen worldwide effort to preserve it. The condors can be seen at fairly close range as they fly through the canyon walls and are an increasingly popular attraction. 'Cruz del Condor' is a popular tourist stop to view the condors, the pass where condors soar gracefully on the rising thermals occurring as the air warms. The condors are best seen in the early morning and late afternoon when they are hunting. At this point the canyon floor is 3,960 ft (1,200 m) below the rim of the canyon.
AMAZING !

After the lookout, we stopped off at the Hot Springs near Chivay. Our bus was full of Spanish friends, so funny and we were called the party bus. I think the hot springs got the best of us.

Lake Titicaca, Floating Islas

2010-09-19T07:00:00.000-07:00

A boat ride from the islands to Puno, mainland.

Traditional Wear for the hair, pom pom like.

A Homestay like no other... LLACHON

2010-09-17T16:20:00.000-07:00

Our next stop after Cuzco was Puno. Puno is the largest city on Lake Titicaca, which is the highest lake in the world (3,811m). Our time spent here was to get accustomed to a home stay set up and to see the lake...

We did however venture to a few fun places in Puno. One being the Coca museum. The coca leaf was, and still is, chewed almost universally by some indigenous communities. The remains of coca leaves have been found with ancient Peruvian mummies, and pottery from the time period depicts humans with bulged cheeks, indicating the presence of something on which they are chewing. Very interesting indeed.

The following day we set off by boat to Llachon. It is a small town on the mainland, but across the lake. Dropped off on the beach Erik and I looked at each other and were both thinking the same thing, where do we go now?? Luckily for us we ran into the nicest lady who was also roaming the beaches, she invited us for lunch and we ended up staying there for lunch, dinner, accommodation and breakfast. All for 40 soles each, which is about $16.
Such a lovely adventure, we walked to the highest peak and could see Bolivia, other islands on the lake and Puno. Our meals were so so good, Trout for lunch (a local specialty), quinoa soup and eggs for dinner, and pancakes for breakfast. We also had the best tea always, our home stay family would pick natural herbs and you just put them in hot water and Mmm Mmm good!

Loved Llachon, and I would recommend this small cute place for anyone looking for a great home stay.

MAPI

2010-09-09T06:54:00.000-07:00

The time has come, 5am wake up in Aguas Caliente for Machu Picchu!

Located 120 km northwest of Cusco, the Inca city of Machu Picchu lay hidden from the world in dense jungle covered mountains until 1911. This 'Lost City' is one of the world's archaeological jewels and is one of South America's major travel destinations.

What an amazing drive up to the top, the valleys are filled with birds, diverse trees and plants, and an awe inspiring feeling of peace.

MAPI is definitely the most expensive portion of our trip thus far... 120 soles, which is about $45 CAD. (the bus up there an additional $7 and the train another additional $75)

BUT IT WAS ALL WORTH IT...

Coming up to that picture perfect spot was so unreal! Especially thinking that people once lived here... so far away from everything else, and we got to witness their ruins and picture their lives.
This being said, it was almost like a maze also, and me, loving to explore, it was a real heaven.
We started by walking around the ruins and taking loads of photos, then decided to do the trek UP the highest peak. It was a 3 hour adventure that was tougher than I thought. The elevation alone made every step hard to breath, and the fog-smog building up didn´t exactly help either. But once we reached the top, ahhhh what an amazing view! We were literally IN the clouds.. amazing. We then decided to go a different way down, not knowing that this different way was 10x more difficult (I´m talking steeper than steep parts... with the smallest ledge and looking down was not the best idea)... then we ended up in an almost rain forest like part, and wow did it ever feel like we were in the thick of a rain forest. It poured and poured, and we hiked and hiked.

Upon our return, freezing, sore, dehydrated, starving... but oh so rewarding.

LOVE MAPI !

oh and ps, llamas everywhere just roaming! haha so cool!

Cuzco & The Sacred Valley

2010-09-07T09:37:00.000-07:00

Our time in Cuzco was filled with delicious restaurants, positive vibes cafes, coca tea everywhere, and people people people. This is one of the most bumping 3rd world coutries I have ever been to. Although it is a little too touristy for me, it´s still full of so much culture and life.

Our first day here was spent resting and relaxing in the Plaza de Armas, acclimatizing to the elevation. Which by the way really does feel different. I was having trouble breathing just walking up the stairs (and I´d like to think of myself as an athletic person), and both of our heads felt as though they would explode at any minute! The solution for this: COCA LEAVES. Now, many of you think of something ¨bad¨ when you hear the word coca... when in fact it is completely natural and very spìritual for the people here. It alleviated the headache and gave a new form of energy. Needless to say, I became fond of this plant for when I needed a boost.
Unfortunately for me, I decided to go off the beaten path and eat at a local restauran (away from all the touristy stuff) aaand got quite sick. I was in bed literally for 34 hours, ew.

The day after I was feeling a bit better so we decided to head to the Sacred Valley and then Aguas Calientes (base of Machu Picchu).

We first stopped in Pisac. A cute little town... AMAZING Market.. and that works well with me, loving to shop shop shop. We also went to the PIsac Ruins, very cool. The next stop before our train ride was Ollantaytambo, a town dominated by 2 massive Inca Ruins. It was cool to see how they planned their city those hundreds of years ago...

Adventuring aruond was really fun, and I was slowly starting to feel better... crossing my fingers I would be up to MAPI (Machu Picchu) the following morning...

LIMA PERU, just the beginning...

2010-08-29T15:51:00.001-07:00

Arriving in Lima a las siez y media en la manana we were welcomed with fog, a chill breeze and friendly Latin American smiles. Getting our luggage, taxi and to our already booked hostal was smooth sailing.
The real treat began when my friend Pepe´s (who I met in Kenya Africa 2 years ago) friend Juan met us and took us on a real local eye tour of Lima and area. Juan loves to surf and Lima has some of the best waves in the world. He drove us just outside the city and showed us a populat spot. Huge waves and crazy surf skills. ME GUSTA!

For Lunch we had civiche (http://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cebiche)! Soooo good! This is the National Dish and mas populares en Lima.

Juan then dropped us off in Central Lima where we adventured around and saw the city local life on a typical Saturday.
Dinner was a real treat, think Lima (fresh fish-seafood) meets the best of Japan Sushi, that was Edo. Mix that with some delicious Agrentinia Vino Blanco and I´ll be smiling all night.
Despues la cena we met Juan again, this time at his place, where we met his amigo and indulged into our first peruvian cerveza and pisco shot. (Pisco Sour being the National Drink... which I have yet to try=
I was craving to go to a real local salsa bar on a Saturday night, but knowing we had a 7am flight to Cuzco the next morning, I just couldn´t do it... next time

Now, OFF TO CUZCO : elevation 3340m !

NEXT DESTINATION... PERU !

2010-08-19T07:53:00.000-07:00

un
en una semana yo estaré en Perú, el baile de salsa, yo subiré montañas, yo comeré alimento de Perú y yo sonreiré mucho !!

When Jeffery was in India...

2010-03-19T07:42:00.000-07:00

WISHING I WAS THERE WITH HIM...

friends across the world

2010-03-08T05:53:00.000-08:00

For all of you that read my blog religiously I thank you very much, traveling alone is hard and having an outlet like this blog is helpful in releasing my thoughts and observations to those that are interested.

In the guest house there are many different nationalities. There are Saudi's, Palestinians, Sudanese, Iranian, German, French, Korean, Nigerian etc.

I have made many friends from different countries and I am expanding my network exponentially everyday. My goal was to find a job in India but what I stumbled upon was much more valuable.

In the guest house I had a nice crew of friends. There was me the Canadian then there was 1 Iranian, 1 Sudanese, 2 Saudi's, 1 German and 1 Palestinian, 1 Moroccan, 1 Swede

I had only met one Iranian before I met 2 in the guest house. My knowledge of the Iranian people was zero all I knew was what I saw on the news and from what I read in the papers and online. It was amazing to be able to hang out with an Iranian guy for 2 weeks here in Mumbai. He changed my perception on Iran and I find myself compelled to travel to his wonderful country.

Amir the guy from Iran has so many crazy stories but I thought I would tell one story that shows how crazy this guy is.

In Iran if you want to leave the country before your 35 you have to go to the Army for 2 years. Amir told me that all you do in the army is stand for 2 years straight. He was compelled to find a loop hole in the system. His girlfriend was taking psychology at the time. She told Amir to act like he was a schizophrenic person. Amir for 2 weeks went to evaluation centers where people evaluated him to see if he was mentally fit. After 2 weeks they deemed him mentally unfit and he was released from the military.

Amir loves basketball and he is a little bull. We played I told him that I would beat him 11-0 and that I would give him 10 000 rupees if he scored a point. I beat him 11-0 but he showed some competency on the court. He was a lefty and would just attack the basket like a wild bull.

My friend from Sudan his name is Mustafa. I liked to call him Moose and it caught on with everyone in the guest house. Moose is a great guy and the friendliest guy I have ever met. He isn’t the smartest, but he makes that up with his kindness and relaxed vibe. He showed me the soccer game and we played almost every night together. The kids at the soccer match really liked him and looked up to him. Moose has been living in the dorm of the guest house for almost a year. He knows everyone around and taught me how to baksheesh. He works for a pharmaceutical company but I don’t know what he does.

The Saudi guys are very interesting characters. They are the most hospitable people I have ever encountered in my life. They are very generous and very respectful; I was totally amazed by everything they did.

The Saudi guys, Khallis and Azziz, would make lunch for me at an Arabic hotel close to the guest house. They would make the rice and prepare the meat as well as the soup and the amazing sauces. It was an amazing experience to have home cooked Arabic food prepared by friends. They are in a weird business and I hope this doesn’t offend anyone. Saudi Arabia from what I understand with discussions with Khallid is that there are not that many low class citizens in Saudi because of the wealth. The wealthy want drivers, cleaners and the government wants labor workers. What Khallid and Azziz do is they send Indians and Nepali's to Saudi to work. They are a broker for sending people to Saudi. Aside from that these 2 guys pray 2 times a day everyday which I think is amazing.

The German guy named Flo was super chill. He lived in a village in MP which is 1 state south of Mumbai. He lived for 14 months in a town teaching English. He can speak fluent Hindi and he loves speaking to every person he sees. It’s funny because everyone lights up when he speaks back and they want to talk forever to him. He hasn’t cut his hair in 10 years, and he hardly shaves. He bought a bike in Hampi and came all the way up to Mumbai sleeping in the woods and camping. He would actually drink 50 chais (teas) a day he was addicted!

More Mumbai

2010-02-20T10:37:00.000-08:00

The reason for my second trip to India was to find a job in Mumbai. I knew that it would be hard and it would take much persistence on my part. I have been here in Mumbai for 18 days and counting, I have had many job interviews and many meetings with little success up to this point.

This is the longest I have ever lived in a city outside Canada. The temperature hovers around 27, 28 degrees everyday. It’s always beautiful and I just think to how the weather is in Montreal.... and I smile!

Most of my meetings/interviews are in Bandra which is 1.5 hours from Coloba (where I’m staying in Mumbai). To get to Bandra I have to go to Churchgate station which is a 25 rupee taxi, and from there I hop on the city train to my destination. I usually get the oddest stares because I am in my suit on the train; I find it extremely funny. All businessmen and women have drivers and that how they get from their house to their work (unlike me who is on the local train). The train is 4 rupees and I never pay, the line to buy the tickets takes way too long. It’s incredible how Indians are so frantic getting on and off the train. You need to cover your face getting off the train because people are trying to get on and off while rushing like a heard of bulls.

Once I arrive in Bandra I have to find an honest rickshaw driver. HAHAHA....There are none to be found ever! I am like a walking gold token for all the drivers waiting. I have a method which I think is very clever. The rickshaw drivers say a price which is 100 times the real price. I tell them yes I will pay that, but when I arrive I pay them what I think they deserve. The drivers are in heaven wondering what they will buy while they’re driving me to the location but when I give them what the fare is actually worth they become very very angry.

The new complexes in Bandra would make Dubai blush. The buildings are magnificent and very elegant with all the newest amenities. It is truly incredible; you forget you’re in India for awhile. As well the security to enter the buildings would make Fort Knox proud.

I have met with RBC, KOTAK, CNBC, UBS and several Consulting Firms. They all tell me the same thing; that they are all walking on egg shells right now. They will be hiring in April and I need to call them then. The positive thing is that I am meeting face to face with the firms which are important in India. I have a follow up meeting with CNBC, they want me to do an internship for a month to see if I fit in well with their team. They want me to go on TV and stuff which is crazy because I have never been very good at public speaking but I guess I can learn.

I realize now that my initial diagnosis of the Indian market may have been false. I thought that within 5 years India would be following China's economy. The more I stay in India and the more that I have meetings I realize that it may take 15 years for India to have the necessary infrastructure in all facets of life to be as powerful as China.

1) The corruption in India is ingrained in the people. It’s incredible how you have to pay people off to do anything. This is a side story that may describe to you the corruption in India. I was playing basketball with two Iranians one of them has a business in exporting. He tells me wild stories how he has to pay around every corner in order for his business to run well. We were getting kicked off the court and the Iranian who has to pay everyone off runs to the security guard and puts a 100 rupee note in his pocket. The security officer then turns around and it was like nothing has happened.
CORRUPTION IS A PROBLEM.

2) You will see the separation between China and India this October at the Commonwealth games in Delhi. Remember the Olympics in 08 in Beijing? I remember amazing structures and a flawless ceremony. I don’t think India can come close to what China did. We will see soon enough!

Bombay Beginnings...

2010-02-17T05:02:00.000-08:00

When I arrived in Bombay it was very hot. I didn’t realize at the time that it was uncharacteristically hot for Feb. The hot weather actually scared me because I didn’t know if I could handle the summer heat which reaches about 50 degrees Celsius. At 32, I was sweating from head to toe. Wearing a suite in hot weather is also not very comfortable. I noticed that the uniform here in Bombay is just a shirt and pants, no tie or jacket. Since I was having interviews I had to wear the full attire and it was stinking hot.

A few observations from Bombay are as follows:

1) During a job interview I have never been asked about my family background. I was asked without a smile on the man’s face if I could describe my family in detail. Once I had done so he looked satisfied and moved on to more traditional questions.

Family history matters in India. It shows that you’re a credible candidate for the job and that you are a trustworthy individual.

On the same subject of interviews, referrals are very important. It is very difficult to get attention in Bombay without knowing someone else. One of my ideas for getting a job was to hand out my resume everywhere. I was instructed by recruitment agencies and people in business that I would not get a nibble of interest because I was not referred to them. It is very important that they know you are trustworthy and that you come from a good background.

2) Indians hate disappointing. If you are looking for something and you ask an Indian where to go they will instruct you 2 blocks then take a left. The thing is they have no clue and are just trying to be friendly. Getting to Bombay I feel like the same thing happened with my recruitment contacts. They had told me for months that they knew many people and that I should come to Bombay to meet and that I would have many meetings.

This has not really come true. The meetings that I have had did not come from the recruitment agencies but through various other networking avenues. I guess it’s just the Indian way to be over friendly to the point of falsifying the truth.

3) The Indian markets are walking on egg shells. This observation is important because firms are scared to hire at this present moment. In the end the interviews are turning more into face to face meetings where I am being short listed for the hiring process in Late April or early June. The short list comprises of only 3 individuals including me so I am optimistic on that point. As well firms will do their interviews via phone once the hiring starts so I am not at a disadvantage.

4) I have had a very hard time finding Ex Patriots here in Bombay. I have looked online to find how I can meet anyone or if Ex Pats meet at any one location to hang out but I have come up with nothing. My strategy is to go to bars where I know Ex Pats frequent and start a convo with anyone that looks foreign. This strategy is a dodgy one at best but I think it’s the only way to really get in contact with an Ex pat.

The reason that I want to meet Ex Pats is because I want to know certain answers to my many questions. Such as:

How hot is it really in Summer?

Do you like living in Bombay?

How much is rent?

etc..

5) It is impossible and I mean impossible to watch the Superbowl in India. I had met 2 Americans and we went to every bar in Bombay and not one bar was showing the SuperBowl. That was very discouraging because I love the Saints, the Saints are my team!! Well I missed the SuperBowl and my team won. WHO DAT NATION!

As well on the same topic the Winter Olympics are just as hard to find. I tried to watch the downhill skiing last night and no bar would let me stay that late. I even called the Canadian Consulate pleading them to have a TV on at all times for the Olympics but they told me they wouldn’t do it.

I’m going to keep trying…

Kajuraho & friends

2010-02-10T04:59:00.000-08:00

The temples in Kajuraho are absolutely splendid. The sculptures and temples were beautifully displayed. The temples were set upon a path around a loop, in the middle was a vast field of lush green grass. The tantric aspect to the temples was underwhelming. And I say this because there were in reality 3 actual carvings that were of the tantric nature. It reminded me of an "action flick" where the pre views showed many action scenes, then when you watched the movie you already seen every action seen already in the previews for the movie. That's how I felt from the temples I felt duped. In any case it was a beautiful day and I enjoyed the walk. The weather was finally turning hotter. In Delhi and Lucknow the weather was bitterly cold especially at night, but in Khajuaraho the weather was warm and very nice with a slight breeze on occasion. There were two sets of temples the west and the east. The west temples were 250 rupees and the east temples were free. Roaming around the east temples I was swarmed by kids. Usually they would ask for money and be on their way, not these kids. They were aggressive and were very rude. Throughout the days sightseeing I would get numerous calls from Kallu wondering where I was. It was incredible how persistent he was! One man while I was in Delhi called me 77 times in 5 hours! Needless to say Indians are very persistent!

Later that day Kallu told me to get on his bike. I had read in Shantaram that Indians often don’t tell you where their going. I had to trust him, he brought me through some mustard fields for about 2 km I seriously thought to myself that he was going to kill me, but I kept my calm and we rode on through the fields. Women were holding large baskets full of vegetables and fruit on their heads as we passed them and kids were playing in their little huts. We soon arrived to a little place in the fields about 4 km in. Men were playing cards sitting on a bright yellow tarp. To the right of them was a little hut created in the same yellow material. I looked over the shoulder of the group of people and saw that people were gambling. A huge man had a stack of 1000 dollar rupee bills in his hands and pocket. I figured he was the banker. I was told that the game was called in or out. Someone picked a card from the deck and set it aside. Then two piles were formed and the men who were betting against the banker had to pick in our out. The odds are 50/50, Kallu had told me he has lost 100 Euros that day. I was perplexed how can you lose that much money if the game is 50/50? The banker looked up at me with a huge grin and told me to sit down. I hesitated and thought I would just put a large sum on one hand. In the end I decided against it and the game ended right then and there.

Everyone around the huge banker had lost money, no one was a winner. The banker was a generous man and he needed his cliental to come back the next day. The banker would give 500 rupees to everyone that lost money, this money was their gas money or whatever they would use it for.

We drove one of Kallu's friends back with us and we had 3 people on the motorcycle. He was a short dark man and his name was Uncle. He was always smiling and even though he couldn’t speak English very well we became good friends. He owned a shop in town that sells school supplies for little profit. Since it’s the only shop in town he makes good money. I respected him for doing that and he was very good with all the kids that came by. He left the shop and put Kallu and I in charge. We had a hard time finding the books and pencils people needed but we managed. One family didn’t have enough money and I paid for the kids’ pencil and sketch book. It was a good feeling to help someone out, and they were very happy indeed.

That night we partied in Uncles hotel room. Drinking and they were smoking. Its crazy the amount of cigarettes they smoke, they spent close to 500 rupees a day just smoking all day and night. That night I met another fine fellow, I couldn’t pronounce his real name so I called him superman. He really enjoyed that, and I had given it to him because he would always wear his superman shirt. The thing I noticed most is that the men I hung out with that week never changed. It was crazy how they would wear the same thing everyday for the whole week.

A Kajuraho Social

2010-02-04T08:54:00.000-08:00

Khajuraho was much hotter than Lucknow and my first impressions were very good. The cold of the north was terrible because I didn’t have the right attire. This new found warmth was very welcoming and I was happy that I made the decision to come Khajuraho. I stayed in a place for 150 Rupees. It was a big room with a double bed and a bathroom. The bathroom was disgusting but that’s why I brought sandals. Right away 2 guys showed up and I guessed that the hotel attendant had called them to show me around and he would make a commission. After much talk about finance and the import export business I had made 2 friends. One of the guys, Kallu, owned a gem shop in town and frequently visited Europe to do business. He rented a loft in the Netherlands which was his base in Europe. The other man made money off tourists. I hadn’t noticed but there were many tourists around, mostly in their 40's or 50's. He had bought a bike with the money and brought tourists to the near by waterfalls or the mountains for a price. His name was Lucky and he was a slim guy 20 years old and at the beginning, didn’t talk much. Kallu was bigger with a belly and spoke excellent English; he had just arrived from a stint in Europe and was excited for the partying ahead. We stood outside his gem shop and had a chai. He was telling me the intricacies of the day to day life in the small town of just of 20,000 people. He was basically my first Indian friend in India and I really appreciated the warmth he displayed to me.

That night we stayed at his shop and drank upstairs. He had a TV and a DVD machine. The only CD's he has were Janet Jackson old school music videos and a movie that was made in the town of the tantrik nature. We bought Old Stag Whisky mixed with water. I didn’t feel threatened and I eased into the conversation that was mostly in Hindi.

The shop was interesting in itself. Kallu the shop owner had servants. He paid them to do what he wanted. The servants would touch our feet and stay in the shadows of the conversation. I made it imperative to include them and show them the same respect that I showed Kallu and Lucky. We ordered food at 11:30pm. It seems that Indians eat very late which was different from what I had been accustomed to all my life. We ordered mutton (sheep) and other delicacies and I paid for the meal.

Lucky, being younger than Kallu had to respect him always. It seemed that the older the more respect you got. Lucky would do anything Kallu said out of respect and admiration for the older person. If someone older than Kallu came into the room he would get up and the older person would take the seat. I found this very interesting and very admirable that in a time of today traditions such as these are still practiced. I also came to learn that family does not drink together. It’s a respect thing as well. For instance Lucky does not drink with his father or any of his brothers; it would be an insult if you showed up at the same party or social event.

R Day & Lucknow

2010-02-04T05:58:00.000-08:00

The Polish woman never had time to visit the mosques in Lucknow. We decided that we should go and see them. We took a cycle rickshaw to the mosques which were 5 km away from our hotel. A cycle rickshaw is a bike with a bench on the back for people to sit. It costs significantly less than a motor rickshaw and you get to experience more of your surroundings on a bike.

The mosque was spectacularly large. The entrance fee for the mosque was 300 Rupees. Inside was a vast courtyard with little shrubs leading to the monuments. They were beautiful and sunset was arriving quickly, the sky was shimmering red. We had to take off our shoes and head into one of the mosques. There was a sign and it read labyrinth. I was very excited because I thought it would be refreshing to get lost in a sacred mosque. We climbed up a set of steep inclining stairs until we reached the top. I could see there were many rows and rows of archways which the Polish woman told me were Mogul style. As we snaked through the maze of the mosque we ran into archways that were designed with an Indian style and an Islamic style.

The following day was Republic day or R day (Jan 26). I was told and I read that it was not safe to be in crowded areas with other foreigners. As I left Delhi throngs and throngs of foreigners were pouring into the streets to witness the celebration. I thought it would be best if I stayed away from Delhi. R Day is when India gained Independence from the rule of the Brits. R Day was especially significant in Lucknow because that is where Ghandi and his followers devised a plan to overthrow the British rule.

The parade started early and my hotel and was 500m from the procession of music and laughter. The parade started out very good and well planned. This parade had many gaps of 10 minutes where no parade person was in sight, unusual when thinking of the typical parade.

Then I figured I had enough of Lucknow. Its tourist infrastructure was low and there wasn’t much to do. I hopped on a train to Khajuraho the land of the Tantric Temples. The train ride would take me to the state of MP which is just south of UP. The train would take 10 hours this time and I bought a ticket for 91 Rupees. Once I bought the ticket I was informed that there was a 2 hour delay because of the fog. I decided to go to an internet cafe and just hang out.

Getting on the train at 7pm I didn’t realize that I had bought a boarding pass for the general class. As I walked I could see there was no way in this world that I was going to subject myself to the cruelty of general. No room, super crowded, and dirtier then dirt. I then secretly jumped into 2 AC and awaited my fate. I took out my book Shantaram which I had bought in Delhi and casually read it hoping no one would sit in my seat. 5 minutes into my journey I was approached by the ticket master. He looked at my ticket and then gave it back to me without an expression on his face. I thought I was home free. He then started calculating numbers and asking others how much their tickets were. I was busted, I had to pay the difference and in the end the ticket was 645 Rupees. I figured that he had taken a little icing off the top of the price but I didn’t mind, this is India!!

Fog, Travel, in India ... don't mix

2010-02-02T06:40:00.000-08:00

Since the last time I wrote I have been on many adventures and wonderful journeys through the heart of India. My time in Delhi was great and I left with a better appreciation for the capital than the last time I left.

The stifling fog that wreaks havoc upon India in Winter does just that. The fog throughout my 4 nights there canceled as many as 100 flights and led to many train delays. I was taking a train at 10 pm at night in the sleeper class for 232 rupees. 1 Canadian dollar equals approximately 43 Rupees. Sleeper class is the 3rd class out of 4 on the railway system. Sleeper is very cheap and noisy but I love it all the same. The last class is general which I would not do. Its very crowded and very cold.

Foreigners are allotted 10 percent of all seats on the train. Therefore, its easy for us to make last second plans. My train to Lucknow which is the capital of the state of UP, was suppose to take 9 hours and i reiterate suppose to take. Lucknow is South West of Delhi and 4 hours West of Varanasi.

For the train it is very important to get snacks and lots of water because its not recommended that you leave your bags alone in Sleeper Class. I brought 2 servings of momo's, a Tibetan delicacy which is very good. It is basically a dumpling like noodle with anything you want inside accompanied by a delicious sweet or spicy sauce. I also brought 2 bottles of mineral water for the trip.

Once on the train I opened my momo's and ate silently on the top bunk. There are 3 bunks one on top of each other like a bunk bed. Its important to get the top bunk because the bottom and the middle bunk can be accessed by anyone. My first time around I never slept on the train, this was a new experience for me and one that I was looking forward to. I had spent way too much money on the hotels in Delhi and a free nights sleep made the trip that much better.

On the top bunk adjacent to me was another foreigner from Poland. She looked like she was in her mid 30's. I sparked up a conversation with her and she told me that she was a teacher in Poland at University. She taught students Indian Art History. I didn't realize at the time but she was basically a free encyclopedia on the many mosques archways and carvings that we visited in Lucknow.

As I mentioned earlier the Lucknow train was suppose to take 9 hours and we were suppose to arrive at approximately 7 in the morning which is not a very good time to arrive anywhere. I made a little fort on the top bunk with my three bags and I felt that the bags were safe. It was very hard to get comfortable and it was very cold that night. I quickly fell asleep in my silk sleeping bag with my head on the bags. I woke many times during the night and the train was usually stopped. The snoring around me was terrible. It was a symphony of agony to my ears. As well I would wake up and the side I had been sleeping on would be very sore and I would have to change positions often.

I woke up at dawn looking at my cell phone and it was 7 am. I was distraught and thought I missed my stop. I looked across to the polish women and she was still there as well as everyone on the bottom bunks that were heading to Lucknow. I got up and went to the bathroom. The bathrooms on the train are nice enough if you hold your nose. The hole which you use goes straight onto the track outside. It smells terrible if you are stopped. I looked outside the train and the visibility was 50 feet maximum due to the pea soup fog. I asked one of the guys on the tracks outside the train how much longer we had. I figured 1-2 hours max. He told me 5 more hours. I knew I was in for the long haul because when an Indian says 5 it usually means double that.

In the end a 600 km journey took 15 hours. I figured Lance Armstrong could have got to Lucknow faster. I arrived at 2 pm the 25Th and set off with the nice Polish women. She had visited Lucknow before because she has to do her situations for school. She visits a museum in the middle of the zoo.

Leaps and Bounds

2010-01-24T11:35:00.000-08:00

4 months later a whole new Delhi. As the commonwealth games are fast approaching Delhi is doing its best to look presentable for the rest of the world. The games are in October and the Indian government probably wants to do a job just like China did for the summer Olympics. Although I doubt India will come close to what china achieved in those Olympic games I have seen progress. The city streets are much cleaner than before which is helpful because Delhi is the dirtiest city in the world. As well I was very surprised by the amazing metro system that Delhi has created. This metro also goes a long way in teaching the Indians things that we westerners take for granted. Such as waiting in lines patiently paying at the toles and being civic on the metro. To make all this happen there are security guards every 10 feet blowing their whistles at people who are not waiting in line or who cross the magical yellow line saying your too close to the railroad tracks. Slowly but surely Indians will learn the rules that we take for granted which will make India a much more tame place.

I have come to find that Delhi is just a huge marketplace. I was walking through a market today called ??(ill find it out) and I realized that Delhi is just a real world Ebay. When your surfing through Ebay you come up on everything shirts, shoes, car parts, plastic tubing and the list goes on. Its exactly like that when your walking the streets of Delhi you walk through a maze of crap that replicates finding stuff on Ebay. And just like Ebay everything is fake!!

Until next time peace

Delhi Arrival !

2010-01-21T05:40:00.000-08:00

So i am in crazy Delhi!! I took 2 sleeping pills last night which knocked me out completely at 12 am in the morning Delhi time. I woke up this morning refreshed but still very tired. I have cut my hair and gotten a shave this morning now I am going to write many emails and then do some glasses hunting.

Funny story for you, actually its not funny it almost turned horrible. So, there is a new rule with Indian visas!! if you leave the country you are not allowed returning for 60 days. So I'm at the check point at the Delhi airport and they tell me they have to send me home. I didn't really panic maybe because i knew that this could just be something he made up. Anyways, they ended up keeping me there for 20 minutes, just trying to make me sweat, but I didn't. In the end I have to go to the Consolata here and tell them i am in India. Basically I am not suppose to be here so I am not really here I'm a ghost!!

SO now I am heading to this bazaar called Sadar bazaar which is 3 km from where I am staying.

All in all its ok here in Delhi. The harassment is so shit I totally forgot the annoyances but i tend to be pretty good at ignoring. Prices are high here because of the Commonwealth games fast approaching!!

I got so lucky my flight wasn't delayed check this link out

http://in.news.yahoo.com/43/20100121/812/tnl-air-rail-traffic-suffer-as-dense-fog.html

- Jeffery

Second time around Packing List

2010-01-19T07:52:00.000-08:00

Now our first trip, we were well UNinformed of how much India has to offer... product wise. We over packed in virtually every field. So this time, Jeffery has a new approach. (one I would recommend for all)

- camera (obviously)
- toothbrush & toothpaste (although you could find these anywhere, its just nice to always have it on you)
- 1 pair of comfy shoes and 1 pair of flip flops (and if you're like me, I also brought 1 pair of hiking sandals that were useful)
- sunglasses and a hat (don't forget you're super close to the equator for the most part)
- rain jacket or poncho (know the weather & season to the area you're traveling)
- any medications you may need (along with perscriptions just in case)
- money pouch/belt (always a good move)
- towel (if beats using clothes to dry off. Most budget places don't offer towels.. and if they do they're usually quite dodgey)
- MINIMAL CLOTHING (you can buy almost anything and everything there... cheap cheap! example: MY (marsha's) ali baba, baggy comfy travel pants, Rs 100, $2.25 Canadian)
- a few granola bars/snacks (food is def not scarce in India, but there are those days when your stomach needs a touch of home)
- 1-2 rolls of Toilet Paper (just in case your first few days are far from a toursity area)
- mosquito repellent (a net if you're going to be in the buggy areas during the buggy season)
- sunscreen (its there, but good to have your own)
- 2 locks: 1 pad lock (near impossible to find, and its good to have your own for hotels/guest houses) and 1 bike lock (for tying your pack up on long train rides_
- UV sterilization Pen (for killing ALL bacteria in the water. Instead of buying bottle after bottle of packaged water) SAVE THE EARTH!
- and last but not least.... The LONLEY PLANET BOOK (although we tried to minimize our dependence on it, it IS a great reference to have on hand)

Well, there you have it! Any questions or other suggestions?

Destination: INDIA.. again (for Jeffery)

2010-01-19T04:47:00.000-08:00

Yes! Its true, one of the 2 explorers are heading back to that magical country called India. Jeffery (my better half) is traveling there, TODAY! He is in search of business opportunities and learn learn learn more on how that country works. I think its amazing and am super super jealous. He will be updating me (and all of you) of his continuing travels. Stay Tuned! Who knows what adventures this boy is bound to wind up in.

The Holy City; Varanasi

2010-01-11T08:08:00.000-08:00

Babas (religious figures) are everywhere in Varanasi

These are just a few of the flower/candles being sent down the Ganges

A Snake Charmer Boy on the steps of the Ghats

Goats with Coats

2010-01-11T06:55:00.000-08:00

Our final destination, Varanasi. As we step off the plane we know we are back in the North. As we read our Lonely Planet, we are well aware that this city is another tourist scam hotspot, and with knowing that, we take all precautions. The drive from the airport to the main city centre takes much longer than it should, the traffic is terrible!
As soon as we get out of the cab (with the cab driver's "assistant" trying to follow us and take us to a "good guesthouse", one of the many scams that we read about), we shoo him away and haul our backpacks down to the ghats to try and find a descent place to stay.
After about 30minutes of tough walking, up stairs, down stairs, we finally find a nice backpacker friendly place, Vishnu Rest House. With our new German friend (we met on the place and shared a taxi with), we are all excited to walk along the ghats and see what Varansi is all about.
AND what a sight we see. Anything and everything is possible here.
Along with its positional advantage of being on the banks of the sacred Ganges River, this has given Varanasi a place at the forefront of the Hindu religion. Varanasi is considered the most sacred place for all Hindus, irrespective of denomination.
Hindus have long believed that bathing in the Ganges or dying in the holy city of Varanasi circumvents reincarnation and hence provides a permanent place in the Swarg (Heaven). This belief that has encouraged the establishment of innumerable nearby geriatric homes and also the disposal of half-burnt corpses into the river.
A big selling thing for young cute kids is the flower candle cup thing, which you light and then pray, and then send down the Ganges. Only 10 rupees (25 cents). Its tough to say no to these persistent cute kids, but after you do it once, there really is no need to pollute again and again (in my eyes).
An amazing experience you have to see while in Varanasi (and its hard to avoid) is the ceremony that happens every night on the main ghats. Its basically 7 men all in sequence doing light and smoke prayers in front of a huge crowd of people.

The city itself (apart from all the action happening on the ghats) is full of life and excitement in the back alleys, with restaurants, shops, temples and mosques.

Oh, and in Varanasi, make sure you get a photo of some goats with coats. Its quite a sight to see.
We had an amazing time here, and can't wait to go back!

varkala

2009-12-20T13:11:00.000-08:00

Next stop after our backwater adventure was beautiful Varkala. This beach town is small and touristy. With shopping, both Indian and Tibetan, any type of restaurant you want, and tons of accommodations, its no wonder it’s a hot spot for tourists of all ages.
Upon boarding the 7am train from Alleppey, we were bombarded with Indians also catching it (must be a popular time). This 2.5 hour train seemed much longer as we were standing crammed in for the duration of it. But it didn’t matter once we saw what we would be swimming in for the next few days.
What a gorgeous beach Varkala is. Based in a cliff, surrounded by rock and palm trees, this was heaven.

Oh those beautiful backwaters...

2009-12-19T04:00:00.000-08:00

The next venture on our trip (and one that we would definitely recommend to those visiting South India) was exploring the backwaters of Kerala. We chose to start in Alappuzha (Alleppey). Arriving via train, we were bombarded with rickshaw drivers all wanting us to go to the same Guesthouse (Johnson’s Guesthouse). This is one in the lonely planet, and although we went and got suckered into looking, I would not recommend it. The rooms were far too overpriced, the owner pressured me upon walking through his doorstep to book with his houseboat, and it’s far from the main city centre. After rejecting his offer, we were lucky that he was nice enough to suggest another guesthouse. We stayed at a place called Brown Guesthouse, we were the only tenants, and there wasn’t a family there, just a nice lady who owned the place. We were located on Cullen Road (the main road) and were an easy walking distance to everything we needed.

The backwaters are the main reason most people come to Alleppey, so don’t think the Indians don’t know this. They will swindle you in any which way to get you to book with them on their houseboat/canoe. Make sure you check out the ride you’ll be taking before you book and especially before you pay. Look back onto the old saying, “If some things seem too good to be sure, they probably are”.

As for our experience, we decided it best to take a canoe adventure; cheaper and more in-depth with backwater communities. Canoes (unlike the huge houseboats) can fit down the small backwaters and get up close and personal with the small villages. We had such a nice driver, for breakfast he brought us into his home (he lives along the backwaters), where he fed his plenty and introduced us to his charming family. Its crazy how many people can live in one tiny house. For the duration of the trip (we chose an 8 hour adventure), we saw many beautiful things; palm trees swaying perfectly in the wind, birds flying along the water, snakes swimming along side us (don’t worry they are harmless), women doing the daily chores on the backwater steps, children playing in the fields, and the farmers at work in the rice paddy fields.

This city is also located on a beach, a non touristy beach, but a beach none the less. It was definitely different than Goa though, I didn’t even feel comfortable wearing a 1 piece bathing suit due to all the Indian men staring and constantly trying to take sneak photos. Jeffery loved the waves though, so an impressive beach for him. Also, what was interesting was when the sunset, the beach came to life! There was live music, food vendors, games going on, kids running around, everything and anything.

For this stop along your trip 2 things I’d recommend:

1) Make sure you get the proper houseboat/canoe that is right for you. *check all options
2) Stay at a home stay or real guesthouse. The Keralan hospitality is unlike many other states in India. Especially try a nice home cooked meal (the coconut rice here is absolutely brilliant!).

Moving Further Inland..

2009-12-18T14:33:00.000-08:00

To Bang bang Bangalore we go. From Mysore to here on the bus it took us about 2 hours. We ended up taking a "premium" bus. One that had a flat screen TV, and lucky for us, we were privileged with seeing our first true Bollywood movie. Wow, was that an experience. The acting in Bollywood is so over the top we found, and very unique to the Indian culture. Its really too hard to explain and you will all just have to watch a movie for yourselves.

Bangalore is the hub of India's booming IT industry, which is shows through its crazy traffic, rising pollution levels, and civic congestion. Although its a large city on the rise to get even bigger, the garden scene here is surprisingly amazing. We stayed there with Jeffery's family friend, Walter, who in fact is working there (from America). The neighbourhood we stayed at was nice, easily accessible to small things like gyms, supermarkets, etc, and also near by to a park.

The city itself isn't very touristy, and we found ourselves walking around a beautiful park, Cubbon Park, and then went to one of the huge malls to hang out in Crosswords (the common bookstore). While at the mall we were enlightened by a surprise excitement called the. "Scare House". WOW! I have never screamed so loud and grabbed onto the closest human beside me so hard in my life (or at least paid for it). I don't want to spoil the excitement so you'll have to head to Bangalore's malls to see for yourself.

From Bangalore we flew to Cochin, something that had to be done to get to our West Coast destination in the short time we had left.

Another interesting part about Bangalore is for the most part we felt like we fit into the general community... as in we didn't get as many stares and questions. The Indians in Bangalore are fairly advanced and have grew more accustom to our Westernized ways.

Mysore; Zoo & Palace

2009-12-17T12:27:00.000-08:00

From Madeikari we took a 3 hour bus to Mysore. Mysore is located just outside of the Coorg region but is still very impressive. Mysore is known for its huge Maharajan Palace and wild market at the city center. We decided to do the wild market first. We had to walk roughly ten minutes through the bustling city of Mysore. Once we got there we were bombarded with “look at my shop, madam look at my shop.” In the market there were shops trying to sell: fruits, spices, dyes for hair and paint, roses and various other flowers, incense and oils.
The market is well known for its oils and incense. Marsha bought many oils that smelt very good and were very authentic. Moving through the market we saw goat brains and hooves being chopped up for Indian family dinners, we saw fish and dead hanging chickens. It was an amazing thing to witness because we hadn’t seen anything like that back home, we were right in the action. After the crazy wild market we ended up at this great south Indian restaurant. It had the best south Indian thalis I had ever tasted. I was so happy that I ate the thali with my hands (Indian style of course only using my right hand). I had read in the LP (lonely planet) that there was an amazing garden outside the city. We took the city bus to the gardens which were 45 minutes away. The gardens are a popular back drop to many Bollywood films which we didn’t know until we got there. Accompanied with the beautiful garden were wonderful fountains that were illuminated with colours which shot up and down to the music. All this was happening with thousands of Indians everywhere; they seemed to really enjoy the fountain and the music.
The next day we went to the Mysore Zoo. The Zoo has so many amazing animals, including the majestic Bengali Tigers. The tigers had a descent sized habitat which they roamed freely. We didn’t realize the sheer size of the beasts. In small cages beside the roaming beast was a white Siberian tiger. The Siberian tiger was circling in his small cage and we felt bad for it. The Maharajas Palace was next on the list and we couldn’t take any photos of it. The Palace was a cacophony of colors and had amazing detail. The floors of the Maharajas Palace were made of Italian stone. The Palace was built in the 1900’s by an English architect that replicated the old Maharajas Palace that burnt down.

Coorg Region

2009-12-16T10:44:00.000-08:00

Back to the grind that is India. Two weeks on the beach has been relaxing and a much needed break from the fast pace of Rajastan and Mumbai. We get on the train headed to Mangalore a city on the coast known for its spice trade. The train is a first come first serve policy meaning there are no arranged seats, therefore, if there are no seats when you arrive, you stand. This creates pushing, shoving and the occasional elbow to the face. The Western Ghats train route is beautiful and filled with rice paddi fields, wide rivers and lush landscapes. The trip to Mangalore was slow as usual but we have found two 21 year old Indian Girls to chat with. They are nurses who have finished there training and now work full time. The discussion gets on the topic of religion. They wanted to know if we celebrated Easter and Christmas and other various religious Holidays. When we told them of our Easter celebration where we find chocolate eggs scattered around the house they became very confused. It took several minutes to describe to them what we meant, but I’m sure they were still very confused.

Once we got to Mangalore we looked at the Lonely Planet and decided we should look around at the various accommodations around the city. Most of the places that the book gave were very disgusting and overpriced, so we decided to ask the rickshaw driver for suggestions. He brought us to a very nice place called Park Place which was very nice and clean. (Usually we don’t go with rickshaw driver’s advise because they will most often rip you off with commissions etc). Upon arrival we decided to go out and find food. We found a little omelet shop outside our place, total bill; 30 rupees. Cheap, convenient, and delicious.

The next morning we were off to the Coorg region of Karnataka, to a little city called Madeikari. There were no trains so we had to take a 150km bus ride. The roads were terrible. The monsoon which lasts for 3 months and ends in September destroys the roads. The 150 km took a grueling 6 hours through narrow and windy one lane roads meant for 2 lane traffic.

We went to Medeikari because of its plantations; which grow coffee, rows and rows of fruit, make spices, as well as the beautiful picturesque country side. This region is popular for its homestays. Homestays are guesthouses that are connected to the plantations. We opted to stay in the city instead. The city is nice and peaceful but power is a problem and it often cuts out every 2 hours. We had read in the LP ( Lonely Planet) that there was a little Tibetan town close to Medeikari. Since McLeod Ganj we had both been in love with the people and the religion. We decided to take a city bus to Bylakuppe which was among the first refugee camps set up in South India to house thousands of Tibetans who fled from Tibet. We saw the golden temple which was remarkable and stunning. Inside were faboulous paintings with amazing detail depicting stories from the past. There were also 3 huge Buddha statues that were approx 65 feet tall.

The next day we visited the Dubare national elephant park. There was no bus to the park and we had to be there at 8 30 in the morning so we took a taxi. When we got to the park we had to take a little boat across a river to meet the elephants. The elephant park cost 200 rupees each which was very cheap. The first order of business at the park was elephant bathing!! The elephants came down to the river and were washed by around 10 tourists including us. The elephants were well trained and seemed to enjoy the scrubbing by all of us. After the elephants were all scrubbed and cleaned we fed them. They seemed to really enjoy watermelon and coconut. We got to touch their tongues and watch them eat which was an amazing experience. After the elephant park our taxi driver brought us to a plantation. He took us for a walk around the plantation which was very nice. We saw coffee beans drying, banana trees, mango trees, fig trees, orange trees, chili pepper plants and various other plant and trees which we forget. It was very impressive and we loved the tour. From there we went to a waterfall called Abby falls which is raging during the monsoon but lackluster during the fall months. We then proceeded to the spices store where Marsha went wild buying every spice in sight. It didn’t matter because the spices were fresh and about 1/10 the price.

2009-12-02T22:26:00.000-08:00

Where to GOAAAA ?!?

2009-11-26T23:34:00.000-08:00

1 week in Goa is definitely not enough. I say that not because I love beaches (although I do), but because it is a state to be discovered! Our number 1 pointer for those travelers heading to this paradise is to see it all, and the best way we found possible, renting a scooter of our own.

We thought best to recap each beach/area through our Goan adventure.

NORTH GOA

Baga Beach: This was our fist stop and place of residence in North Goa. A busy touristy feel, full of middle age Russians who love Vodka and small speedoes. The nightlife is crazy, if you like that I'm on spring break in Cancun kind of feel. The beer is super cheap (Rs 60-70, $1.40), with 2 for 1 deals from 6-11pm. There is a great beach, lots of beach shaks, and friendly Goan people trying to sell sell sell on the beaches.

Calangute Beach: just south of Baga Beach (5km or something), very similar but with less nightlife. The beach shacks have more variety in terms of food and drinks, but fairly similar to its northern cousin.

Ajuna Beach: This place is amazing for Wednesdays of the week. Ajuna Flee Market!! What a place to see, even if you don't like shopping, there is live music, tons of food, and people galore to watch and hang with. Back to the shopping, it is great if you need to do it all in 1 place. Bardering (haggling) is easier then it looks... because everyone has the same stuff! So you can say to one guy, Rs100, and if he says no, move to the next one, and eventually they'll crack and be fighting over business for Rs50! Very fun indeed. OH, and the beach here is great, a lot smaller than Baga, but very nice in its own way.

Vagator Beach: Our favourite by FAR! Now although we were only here for a day trip (via our amazing scooter), we loved its relaxed chill vibe, cheap and delicious restaurants, and amazing beach/rocky scenery. The sunsets here are absolutely stunning and it should be a must visit when in Goa.

Morjim Beach: Ahhh beautiful Morjim, home to my lovely Olive Ridley Sea Turtles. We didn't get to see too much of this beach in the day, but made a night of it, searching for the turtles to come to sore. They tend to lay their eggs in the month of November. Unfortunately we didn't see any, but being there was so surreal. The only thing is that the beach was full of garbage! For being a secluded beach, especially one with endangered creatures using it for breeding grounds, I wish there was more of an effort to clean it up!

CENTRAL GOA

Old Goa: Full of churches and cathedrals, this place is full of Portuguese history. Beautiful buildings and lots to learn.

Panjim: The capital of this state, we just ventured through it. The one neat thing is, it has a night casino, one you can only reach via boat... because its in the harbour! Casino Royal. We didn't end up going, 1 because it left at 930pm (and it was around 6pm when we were there), and 2 because it was $80 just to get on (each). But if you have the time and money, definitely a place to check out!

Mumbai Alert

2009-11-18T21:35:00.000-08:00

What a happening city. This is a place like no where else in India (or anywhere we've been to yet). The city seems 10X more developed and organized than Delhi, and there aren't cows parading around.

The place we stayed, Colaba, also where the famous Taj Mahal Hotel is, has the majority of sights to be seen, along with all the happening restaurants and bars. Colaba also hosts The Gateway of India, a ferry getting you to Elephanta Island, and many bustling street stalls, markets and lodgings.

We arrived in Mumbai late at night via plane from Udaipur. We went straight to the pre paid taxis (Rs 350), and headed straight for Colaba. We didn't know where we were staying, but knew the area in which we wanted to room (near the Taj Mahal Hotel). So after haggling and running around the streets, I found a nice hotel (way over our budget), Appollo Hotel, Rs 3500/night, down from Rs 5800.
The following day we knew that there was no time to waste in this huge and expensive city, so it was off to Elephanta Island. Luckily, our hotel was a mere 10min walk to the Gateway of India (where the ferries for the Island are). They run every 20min and cost Rs120. The boat ride is around 1 hour 20minutes, and can get quite sleepy at times. We enjoyed sitting rooftop, with the great view of the harbour and the city behind us. Make sure to wear SUNSCREEN here though! Especially as this has been the furthest south, the sun being the strongest yet!

Elephant Island is made up of rock-cut temples in dark gloomy looking caves. Entry fee is Rs 150 for tourists (not too bad). Something we found interesting, this being a part of the Unesco World Heritage Site. These cave temples are carved into basalt rock of the island (pretty cool), and we were told that these carvings represent some of the most impressive temple carving in ALL of India. These temples were are thought to have been created between 450 Ad and 750 (super old).

The next day we decided to be more adventurous and took the local city train (so many people jumping off and on) North of the city. We went to Sanjay Ghandi National Park (so weak and I wouldn't recommend it), then to the biggest laundry spot in India, also called Dhobi Ghat (so many people washing and drying thousands of clothes, for households and businesses), Haji Ali's Mosque (this immaculate building is a sacred mirage off the coast, looks like its in the middle of the water), and to Mahalaxmi Temple (the busiest and most colourful temples in all of Mumbai).

Mumbai is also known now as a place where terrorists attacked, Nov 26, 2008. We went to the Taj Hotel (the very place they were aiming), also to Victoria Train Station, and to Leopold's Bar and Restaurant (the bullet holes still in the walls).

And to top it all off, Jeffery and I also partook in a Bollywood Commerical. We were approached by a 30 year old man on the streets of Colaba, who asked us if we would be interested in doing a commercial (he originally said chocolate or sunscreen but it ended up being life insurance). We said yes and away we went, 2pm - 2am. A long ass day, full of ups and downs, but in the end, we were Rs500 richer (each) and met 5 other really nice people (Australians, Kiwis and another Canadian). If you are in Mumbai, you may get luckier than us and be in the background of a movie, dance dance dance!

From Mumbai now to Goa... bring on the beaches...

Rajasthan Hospital Adventure

2009-11-16T03:29:00.000-08:00

We are finally writting another entry after a week and a half hiatus. We have travelled through Rajastan at this point and are heading to Goa from Mumbai today on a 12 hour sleeper AC bus.
When we last wrote we were in Jodhpur heading to Jaislamer on a 5 hour bus through the desert to the small little town on the border of Pakistan. Jaislamer had the feel of Risikesh and Mcleod Ganj in one, right in the middle of the Thar Desert. The city surrounds the fort which sits high on the mountain side looking over the town and the surrounding area. The fort has lost much of its grandeur due to enviromental problems, it is slowly sinking because its built on unstable soil. The fort is small and has little to offer. The reason most tourists visit Jaislamer is to do the camel safari. We couldnt do the Safari because I (jeffery) was terribly ill.
We left Jaislamer sooner than expected because I was so sick and the Thar desert was not a hospitable place for someone to be with my condition. We took a 15 hour sleeper bus to Udaipur, supposedly the most romantic place in India. The ride to Udaipur was bumpy and very long. I would not advice anyone to take the same route as it was all backroads and we went an average of 40 km the entire trip. If i was going to Jaislamer again i would first go to Jaislamer then go to Jodhupur because the road is a highway, therefore, its a much better route.
Udaipur was great we arrived at 6 in the morning and jumped into bed and fell asleep until the afternoon. When I awoke I was shivering terribly so we decided it would be best if I went to the Hospital. When we arrived we were told to go to the Emergency room, right away I was looked after. I told the doctors my symptoms and they acted quickly. They took my blood and gave me an X Ray within 30 minutes. I was admitted and given a huge room for myself on the top floor. The doctors first thought I had malaria, then they changed it to severe bacteria buildup in my intestines. My liver and spleen were inflammed and I had a 102 degree fever.
Needless to say the doctors were great and everyone in the hospital thought I was Brad Pitt. The doctors would come in and chat with me and then leave it was some what of a circus at times. I was hooked up to an I.V. and given liquids for my sickness. In all I was there for 3 days until I was better. The experience was better than i expected and Marsha really helped me out with everything. She went through many weird instances such as; the antibiotics that were used on me we had to purchase before hand. Marsha had to push and shove in line to get the medicine, IVs, everything, because Indians dont understand lines. She said it was a really intense situation.
Udaipur was the best backpackers city in Rajastan that we visited. The whole city seemed to be tailered to us. Octopussy played at every hotel at 7 pm. The hotels overlooked the lake and the floating hotel. It was a really amazing scene. The only problem was that we were in the middle of a low depretion as cyclone pythan moved through the area making Udaipur very cold and wet.
We then took a flight from Udaipur to Mumbai which was an hour and a half. The airport was very nice, but as I mentioned before the cyclone was causing havoc in the area. All the flights before ours were cancelled. At one point a guy working for the airport was told to go outside with a huge balloon. All the tourists laughed as the man let go of the balloon. The guy worked for the airport and was testing visibility and wind direction!! We finally took off that day luckily and arrived in Mumbai in one piece.

Jaipur Happenings & etc

2009-10-31T09:48:00.000-07:00

The last time we wrote was about a week ago and we were enjoying our time in Agra. Much has happened since then; we have visited Jaipur and now are in the middle of the biggest camel fair in Pushkar.

We stayed for 4 nights in Jaipur which was more than enough. We visited many sights and walked through countless bazaars while there. The most notable sights where the Iswari Minar Swarga Sal which stands 140 feet in the sky in the middle of the pink city, and the Amber fort. The views from Iswari Minar Swarga Sal were impeccable and you can see the 3 other forts in the distance.

Marsha and I have been slowly transforming into the budget travelers we set out to be. In Jaipur the rickshaw drivers were way too expensive so we took the city bus to Amber fort 30 minutes away from Jaipur. The bus was 5 rupees each and extremely packed. We really enjoyed the city buses and used them often. The Amber fort was magnificent, and if visiting Jaipur it’s a must go. The fort sits atop a strategic hill 15 Km outside Jaipur. Amber used to be the capital of Rajastan before it was changed to Jaipur. The fort is huge and really fun to just explore its several rooms and chambers.

We also decided to go off the beaten path and travel 2 hours and a half to a town called Balaji. This town which sees almost no tourists has a temple that exorcises bad spirits. There were hundreds and hundreds of devoted Indians lining up to send their prayers at the temple. People were in a trance in line and were humming together. It was really an eye opening experience. The exorcisms happen at around 7pm and can be viewed on TV screens outside the temple. (Buses come ever 30 minutes to Jaipur. )

We are now in Pushkar and it’s a mix between Risikesh and Delhi/Agra. I would estimate its half tourists and half pilgrims. It’s a very interesting mix, with a scenic desert backdrop. This is the first time that either of us has been to a desert so it’s a really amazing experience. We walked through the desert and into a maze of unhappy camels. Its really a different side of India that either of us has encountered yet.

We are now going to meet my parents which have also traveled to India and just arrived in Pushkar. They seem hesitant on eating local restaurant food but we are going to try and get them to dive into India budget travel style!!

First Indian Train Travel

2009-10-23T23:54:00.000-07:00

4am wake up call, 430am departure from Rishikesh to Hardiwar by taxi, 5:15am arrival at Hariwar Train Station, original train departure time to Agra; 6am, actual departure time, 8:15am. This was the first Indian train experience along our journey.

Upon arrival our eyes met hundreds of Indians, all of which were camping outside the train station, a dramatic picture to say the least. As we made our way in, we were told by the "superior" train people that our train was 2 hours late. This was mainly because of the accident that occured the day before, so the trains were moving extra slow and taking extra precautions (lucky us).
After meeting a friendly guy, Javier, from Spain, we quickly taught him the card game crazy eights (loco ochos), fed some bananas to the monkeys, and watched the busy people jump from track to track.

Once on the train (AC 2 Tier), we were sitting with 2 Babas. (babas are a religious master, or a father of religion). They were very quick to stare at us, and quickly moved to the seats behind (I guess they weren't amused with our talk-a-tive-ness). On the 3rd stop (and this train stopped a lot) we were joined by a nice old Indian couple. The woman didn't speak any english, but the man spoke broken English/Hindi. They were super nice, giving us homemade Indian food that they brought along, on many occassions.

Throughout our 12 hour train journey Jeffery and I slept, ate many cookies and Indian food, killed cockroches, watched mice scurry around, played cards, read, and watched the countryside pass by. An overall fun Indian experience. Although I've heard many bad train stories, we lucked out with a great one. And although it was a dirty dirty train, we kept an open mind and made it a great memory.

Until next time...

India Buses, Rishikesh, DIWALI

2009-10-17T23:01:00.001-07:00

Our third destination in India was Risikesh, the yoga capital of theworld. The city of Risikesh lies peacefully on the winding gangesriver, the most sacred river in India. Millions of pilgrims arriveevery year. Here they visit the banks to bathe and send off peaceofferings to the gods, in the form of floating candles and variousother gifts. The bus left from Dharmsala which is a 10 minute taxi ride fromMcleod Ganj. We chose the luxury bus which was 600 rupees, the onlyupgrade was that you could recline your seats. The bus station made usnervous, we had read and heard horrible stories of tourists losingeverything to scammers. Marsha got two seats on the bus, while I stoodand watched our bags like a hawk. In the end it was just parranoia,and we were off. The bus was nice and it was about 1\5 full, which wasamazing because we could lie down and sleep through the 14 hourjourney. To get a real sense of the bus ride i think it would best bedescribed as a maniac on wheels. The driver seemed to not care foranyones safetly not even his own. He would fly around corners, wherethe valley floor was several hundred feet below. He didnt understandthat when there is a turn you should slow down well in advance andtake the turn nicely. He would just put the petal to the metal andwhen a turn came he would put on the breaks at the last second like hewas trying to avoid a moose. The breaks by the 3rd hour were makingterrible noises i had to hold my ears because it was so loud. We were told there would be stops for a bathroom break and to getsome food. I knew that the food would be terrible and disgusting andthe bathrooms would be less than satisfactory because of my Thailandtravels. Marsha was not on the same wave length and was horrified tofind such appauling conditions at the stops. The bus made anunexpected stop in Manali and picked up 40 or so roudy 20 orsomethings from the bus stop. Its crazy because in North America wehave working hours of 9 -5 and airports and bus stops die down around8 30 -9. In India the bus stops are at full capacity at 12 at nightand people are still working deep into the night. Its a totallydifferent way of life. We arrived at Dera Dun 1 hour and a half from Risikesh at 5 in themorning. We then had to take a city bus to Risikesh from the busstation which was a close walk from where we were left off. It didnttake long for people to show us where the bus to Risikesh was leaving.We hopped on and took the city bus with locals. It was a really greatway to see how locals get to work. The doors open as we are moving andpeople jump in, famlilies pack the bus city workers everyone justjammed on one bus. It was a really eye opening experience. Risikesh has lived up to the expectations as a beauiful yoga town.Yoga lofts and massage centers are a dime a dozen. The ganges is awonderful backdrop to the foothills that surround it and to thetemples that line the city. Its a wonderful place and a greatdestination to just hang out and meet new people. Yestersay wasDiwali, the biggest festival in India. Diwali is the festival oflights, basically its a time when firecrackers and fireworks dominatethe air and sound waves. Last night amazing firework displays werebeing viewed all across Risikesh. It started at around 7 pm and endedat 2 am. Imagine a fourth of July firework show times 1.1 billion.Thats no exaguration either. The sky was filled with fireworkseverywhere, and it lasted for 7 hours straight. We bought 35 dollarsworth of fireworks and went to our roof. We shot off around 10 hugefireworks, while others were doing the same thing. Its indescribableand a wonder to us why India wouldnt promote Diwali more. Its totallyamazing no words can describe what we saw last night.

INDRAHAR PASS TREK

2009-10-13T19:32:00.000-07:00

We had heard on twitter that Eagle Heights trekking in Mcleod Ganj was the company we should use if we wanted to go on a trek through the Himalayas. Eagle Heights had many options for us to take. We chose the 4 day trek that would take us to the Idrahar pass. This pass was above 4000 meters and half of Everest.

We started off the first day with tea which was a reaccuring theme on the trek and climbed to Triund. Triund was the first stop and the resting place for our first night. The view was spectacular and you could see the Himalayan range we were going to climb and the valley where we just came from. We slept in a tent, the temperature was hovering around freezing and needless to say we were freezing.

The second night we set off early in the morning and hiked to the snow line. This used to be the snow line in the 1990’s but climate change has now changed that and the glacier does not go down that far, but it is still refereed to as the snow line. Our guide and porters stayed in a makeshift cave that Shepherd's sleep in. We got the tent, and this time we put a 1 foot rock fort around the base of our tent so the wind wouldn't come in. That night it was negative 5 degrees. The rocks did their job and we were not as cold as the night before.

The third day was the hardest of them all. We woke up at 2800 meters and were climbing to 4250 meters approx. Our guide Paul told us that it would take us 7 hours to get up and 3 to get down. When we started the sun hadn't come over the mountains , we hiked for close to an hour with no sun which was really cold. The hike was hard and snow which had fallen 2 days prior was still on the rocks making it difficult and slippery to climb. The last 300 meters was brutal and breaks were taken every 50 meters or so. The air was thin and a deep headache set in. We both had a minor case of altitude sickness.

We finally reached the top and the view was spectacular. You could see the valleys on both sides of the mountain range and the next range in the distance. It was well worth the 4 hour hike. We rested at the top totally exhausted, and ate snacks and chatted about Sheppard's and merchants who had to pass through indahar. The indahar pass is the hardest and steepest pass in Himachal Pradesh.

One fact that may be interesting is that shepherds who pass with their livestock have a rather gruesome ritual. Once they get to the top there is a little temple where the shepherds and locals prey. The Sheppard's have a ritual where they cut off one of the sheep’s heads and put it in the temple for the god. Then they carry the body to the bottom of the mountain. Our guide didn't want us to see that so we descended before the livestock, but they caught up!!

All in all the trek was an amazing experience and we would do it again in a heartbeat. Use Eagle Heights Trekking they are a little more expensive but totally worth every penny.

Mcleod Ganj

2009-10-12T05:58:00.000-07:00

Our second leg of the jounrey origionally was going to be taken by train to Shimla, then Manali and then finally Mcleod Ganj, home of the Dali Lama and the beautiful Himalayas. In Delhi we caught the horrible "Delhi Belly" and were bed wridden for 4 days. We missed our train which would have taken 24 hours and caught a King Fisher airplane to Mcleod Ganj which took 1 hour and 30 minutes. On our arrival we met two backpackers; one from Canada and one from Australia. Josh, the Australian already had a cab waiting for him so we shared a small cab with Sahir, the other Canadian. The drive from Dharmsala to Mcleod Ganj was one of the scariest drives we have ever taken. The taxi was practically off the cliff several times, being hundreds of meters above the valley floor. We were secretly praying for our lives, closing our eyes and hoping for the best.
Mcleod Ganj became popular in the mid 1900's for tourists because of the Dalai Lama. Richard Gere supposedly used to travel frequently here because of the tranquliety and beauty of the area. The little city is nestled on the foothills of the Himilayas, the largest mountain range in the world.
Monks line the streets wearing their red robes, buying local produce and talking on their cell phones. Free Tibet stickers and clothing are littered everywhere, and the Tibetan people are peaceful and extremely friendly, the complete opposite of New Delhi.
We visited the temple of the Dalai Lama, our Australian friend accompanied us as well. The temple was beautiful and full of monks walking peacefully around. We were told their was a mile walk around the temple called the CORA. The CORA is used for monks to prey and worship in the nature. It is truly a world apart from anything we have experienced.
Mcleod Ganj and its surrounding areas are breath taking. Words cannot describe the Himlayas with their snow covered peaks at 4000 meters or the peaceful culture of the Tibetian people, you must visit to fully comprehend the serenity and vibe of Mcleod Ganj.

Delhi, As you Like

2009-10-02T06:54:00.000-07:00

HONK! HONK! BEEP! HONK!Welcome to the noisy, dusty, crazy city of Delhi. First step off the plane and we could already smell the difference. A mixture of curry, dust, people, and sacred cows meant we had arrived in New Delhi, India. This new smell brought butterflies of excitement and anticipation of our India adventure about to begin.

Arriving very late at night (after midnight) there wasn’t much to see, but as soon as the staff of Ajanta Hotel greeted us with a bindi being marked on our foreheads, we knew we were in India.

The follow morning, we woke up to the busy sound of New Delhi. Hustle and Bustle was already happening on the streets of Pahar Ganj. We ate a quick breakfast and were off on our first TUK TUK adventure. Wow and what a crazy experience those means of transportation are. In and out of traffic, almost crashing every 5 seconds. Our first stop was Connaught Place; a common spot for shops of all kinds. Thanks to our Lonely Planet book, we were well aware that almost 99.9% of TUK TUK drivers would take tourists to the same shops where they make a small commission (and funny thing, each time we’d ask to go somewhere for authentic clothing, we were brought to the same 3 places). And they were all over priced for us “tourists” of course.

Day 1 and first stop we were brought to a nice carpet shop where they say us on comfy sofas, brought us delicious Kashmir green-cinnamon tea, and explained the making and history of each different type of carpet. Once we came to the prices (he of course left this until the end of the speech), we kindly got up and left. Had we stayed, I’m sure we could have bargained for a much lower and more affordable price. But our first day in India on a 78 day planned trip, dropping Rs 13000 (approx $330 Canadian) wasn’t part of our budget plan.

We also saw the Red Fort (located in Old Delhi), and had dinner at an OK touristy/Indian restaurant called Splash.

On our 2nd day, the 2nd of October, Gandhi’s Birthday & National Holiday in Indiam we set off to Raj Ghat. This is the exact location to where Gandhi was murdered on January 30th, 1948. Although we missed the ceremony, there were still many people there praying and paying their respects.

Having the full afternoon free while in Old Delhi, we bumped into a very nice girl, who is actually the vice president of Delhi University. She asked us if there was anything she could do to help us. (We were hungry at the time so we asked for a good place to eat). We then headed by TUK TUK to a busy place called Karim’s Restaurant, which was right in the heart of a Muslim Bazaar. It was so busy in there Jeffery and I didn’t know which way was up or down. After sitting beside a nice Indian couple from Mumbai, we were off to see what the side streets had to offer. Even with this day being a holiday, the streets were still so packed and crowded. I don’t even want to imagine walking down there when all the stores are open. All and all, Delhi is overwhelming but very interesting. You have to come with an open mind, being ready to experience the unknown and to try new things. Constant noise, dust, people and culture, I still need to take it in small doses.

Fitness Travel Tips

2009-09-20T07:18:00.000-07:00

STAY FIT AND HEALTHY WHILE IN PLANES, ON THE

ROAD, OR EVERYDAY LIVING

....

Wherever you are traveling, being fit and healthy will help you with everyday activities. It is so so important to maintain a healthy

body while traveling... and I will tell you why...

1) Unfamiliar Foods. This can make or break a trip. Having a healthier immune system will help your body fight off unwanted ingredients that my not necessarily agree with your body.

2) Poor Transport. Sitting on a train for 9 hours in India is not like sitting on a 9 hour train in Canada. The conditions may be uncomfortable and awkward for our bodies. So having stronger muscles and more flexibility within your muscles will aid you along this dreary experience.

3) Backpacking. You think backpacking is easy? Not when you have 20lbs lugged onto your back and you've been walking for 30km. Training your muscles ahead of time for heavy lifting while walking will ease you into the process.

LOOKING at BACKPACKING... A few things you need to know before you get on that first plane.

Backpacking has its own set of requirements. You need strength, a good back, and some measure of hardiness since you'll probably have to walk either long distances or a certain amount of time.

So before you leave, concentrate on training both for strength and cardiovascular health.

1. Research your destination

How fit do you need to be? Are you climbing mountains or lounging on a tropical beach? Is there good public transportation from A to B or will you have to carry your pack for miles? Are you away for a month or a year.

2. How fit are you?

If you're already super-fit, chances are you'll have a bit of leeway before you have to work at it. But if you're puffing by the time you go up a flight of steps, climbing Kili your first week away might not be wise.

3. Start ahead of time.

Don't wait until you've got your plane tickets in hand - start now! Unless you're a regular at the gym, you'll need a few months to get into optimum shape for the road.

MORE TO BACKPACKING

Most people who backpack carry somewhere between one-sixth and one-third of their own body weight on their backs. Regardless of how much stuff you decide to carry, you'll have a much more comfortable hike if you increase your physical fitness before you ever set out.

Backpacking requires two types of fitness -- cardiovascular and muscular. Cardiovascular fitness is built through aerobic exercise, and muscular fitness is built through weight training. Some people choose to improve their fitness by walking on a treadmill or around town with a weighted backpack on their backs. But you can also prepare for a backpacking trip with more traditional exercise.

OUR TRAVEL FITNESS TIPS

Walk walk walk! The more walking to you do prior to your trip, the better. Start small, then work up to one of the biggest treks of your trip.

Work on your muscular strength, a lot coming from your legs and back. Walking with a big backpack is tough, make sure you have the muscles to support the rest of your body. (lifting heavier weights at the gym will help

Fill your backpack with 15-20 kg of books, rocks or clothes, and carry it around with you until it feels 'normal'. You should be able to lift it on your own, get it on your back, and carry it for a few kilometers without fainting.

Really work on that aerobic exercise! You'll be happy when you're running to catch the last train of the day and your lungs don't collapse. Train by running at a constant pace, fast enough where your heart rate is at its 80% maximum.

Join a yoga class. (especially if you're like me and plan to do yoga while traveling) It'll strengthen you and make you more flexible for those nights on the beach or on hard bamboo beds.

Exercise in similar conditions as your trip. If you're headed for the mountains, practice on hills if you can. (for me, I've been putting the treadmill on the highest inclination to practice those mountainous treks of the Himalayas)

Whatever you do among your trip and before; stay healthy and have fun! :)

How to Wear an Indian Sari

2009-09-18T07:41:00.000-07:00

While in India, I (Marsha) plan to dress respectively and conservatively. One way to do this is to dress as the locals to (when in Rome). So I have researched the best way to dress in a Sari, one of the more common outfits for the women of India. It looks simple but can be complicated if one doesn't know anything about them. H

ere are the steps to

wearing a Sari.

Step 1: First, there are 2 components to the Indian Sari which and these must be chosen carefully to compliment the look (prior to wearing

the sari).

1) Petticoat - a waist to floor garment, tie this ti

ghtly at the waist with the loose string. Try choosing a colour that will match the sari colour.

2) Blouse - this is also tight fitting and should also be a similar colour to the sari (matching accordingly). This can be short sleeved or sleeveless, and this blouse will end just below the bust.

Step 2:

So you can start by tucking the sari (plain/upper end) into the petticoat. Try to position it so its slightly right to your bellybutton. Make sure that the lower end of t

he sari should be touchi

ng the floor, and that the whole length of the sari comes on the left-hand side. Now wrap the sari around yourself once, with the sari now coming back in the front, on your right side.

Step 3

Make about 5 to 7 pleats of equal width of 5 inches, starting at the tucked-in end. Gather the pleat

s together, neatly, ensuring that the lower edge of the pleats are even and just off the ground and that the pleats fall straight and evenly. A safety pin may be used to stop the pleats

from scattering.

Step 4

Neatly tuck the pleats into the petticoat, at the waist, slightly to the left of your belly button

, so they are open to your left.

Step 5

Drape the remaining fabric around yourself once more left to right, and bring it round your hips to the front, holding the top edge of the sari.

Step 6

Slightly raise the remaining portion of the Sari on your back, bringing it up under the right arm and over the left shoulder so that the end of the Sari falls to about the level of your knees.

The end portion is then draped from the left shoulder and around. This is called the Pallav or the Pallu. To prevent it slipping off your shoulder, fasten the Pallu at the shoulder to the blouse with a small safety pin.

Now all I have to do is remember this... I will be sure to upload pictures of my first attempts at this. ENJOY :)

Female Fashion... do's and don'ts for INDIA

2009-09-13T05:58:00.000-07:00

What is acceptable for a woman to wear when traveling/backpacking in India?

Traditional Indian clothing for women are the sari or the salwar kameez and also Ghaghra Cholis (Lehengas).

A sari is a strip of unstitched cloth, ranging from four to nine metres in length that is draped over the body in various styles. The most common style is for the sari to be wrapped around the waist, with one end then draped over the shoulder baring the midriff.

The salwar kameez is another form of popular dress for females. It consists of loose trousers (the salwar) topped by a long loose shirt (the kameez).

Looking at Journy Woman's travel information on what to wear in India, she had a few posts from previous female traveler's and their advice.

http://www.journeywoman.com/ccc/ccc-i.html

Remember this hint. Skirts are so much easier than pants if you have to use squatting Indian toilets!
Megan, Vancouver, USA

Buy a 'Salwar Kameez'. It's a dress-with-pants-and-shawl type of thing, worn by Muslim women, but also by Hindu women. The shawl can be draped around you shoulders and across your chest, saves you some stares, or used as a headdress if you go into temples or mosques. As almost all women in India wear either a Saree or a Salwar Kameez you will be regarded well as you are dressing appropriately. Wearing jeans and a shirt is okay for travelling, but only for that. You can buy a Salwar almost anywhere but the best way to have one that suits you is to buy some cloth at a store and then go to a tailor and have it made for you.
Bloem, Huizen, Netherlands

Wear black because no matter how posh your accommodation, you will get covered in dust. Wearing black requires fewer trips to the laundromat. I'd recommend a long skirt ...ankle or calf length in a cool fabric with a loose fitting long-sleeved top... that seems to please everyone. Not very exciting but certainly handy. I also found a long piece of dark viscose fabric very helpful - this was wound around my head and shoulders. Even where it's not necessary to do this for cultural reasons, it really is one of the best ways of keeping the sun off.
Katelyn, Auckland, New Zealand

Be culturally correct and know what you're wearing. Many western women wear sari petticoats and blouses without the sari. This is the equivalent to walking on the street with your underwear on and is considered in very poor taste.
Anita, Toronto, Canada

I went bike riding in India recently. I packed some loose fitting (mens actually!) zip off trousers. When zipped off, they came to about my knees. While bike riding, I got a bit warm so I risked taking the bottom part off and revealing my knees. BAD MOVE. We were riding through rural villages that don't get to see white folk too often (about 2 or 3 times a year I was told) let alone white female knees. I had cars driving really close to me, almost knocking me off, just to cop an eyeful of my lily white legs!!! I found it better to be a little warm than risk being knocked over! I found as soon as I had them full length again, they left me alone.
Annie, Adelaide, Australia

Destination: INDIA

2009-09-07T17:09:00.000-07:00

Well, we have done it, bought the tickets for our 78 day India Adventure! Sept 29 - Dec 16, 2009. We are planning to see a majority of this intriguing country with memories to last a lifetime.

So far we've gotten our shots & recommended medicine.

Thanks to MD Travel Health, and our doctors, we were ready for anything!

Meningococcal	Recommended for all travelers to the states of Meghalaya, Tripura and Mizoram in the northeast
Hepatitis A	Recommended for all travelers
Typhoid	Recommended for all travelers
Polio	One-time booster recommended for any adult traveler who completed the childhood series but never had polio vaccine as an adult
Yellow fever	Required for all travelers arriving from or transiting through a yellow-fever-infected area in Africa or the Americas. Not recommended otherwise.
Japanese encephalitis	For travelers who may spend a month or more in rural areas and for short-term travelers who may spend substantial time outdoors in rural areas, especially after dusk
Hepatitis B	Recommended for all travelers
Rabies	For travelers spending a lot of time outdoors, or at high risk for animal bites, or involved in any activities that might bring them into direct contact with bats
Measles, mumps, rubella (MMR)	Two doses recommended for all travelers born after 1956, if not previously given
Tetanus-diphtheria	Revaccination recommended every 10 years

Next thing on the list is insurance. We are planning on getting the whole package; medical, travel etc. Its around $350 with our travel agent, but will be worth it if tough times arise. Since we both haven't been to India yet, we think its better to be safe then sorry!

A great way to see what kind of insurance you need is getting a quote. I recommend RBC for Canadians.

We also still need to get our Canadian India Visa.

An Exciting Start!!