H - Seeing the world... - H

Last of the New Zealand pics..

Sat, 23 Feb 2008 00:00:00 GMT

This might be the last chance I get to put pics up on here as I'm off to Figi where the plan is to just totally Chillax! We are are spending 6/7 of our nights on the internet-less-remote islands so shall be in touch in early March when I get to L.A.

Be seeing you soon xx

Lots of gorgeous scenery

Thu, 14 Feb 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Lots of scenic pics from Milford Sound boat cruise ---> Franz Josef Glacier trek --> Abel Tasman National Park and various stop off points between these places.

Poser Kea bird (type of parrot) on the glacier

Making the most of the last leg of the trip!

Thu, 07 Feb 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Absolutely LOVE New Zealand - the scenery is just stunning...so many bluer than blue lakes, massive mountains, moody looking skies, friendly people, nice cheap food, quiet scenic roads to drive on, architectural buildings, chilled out bars and last but not least...crazy fun stuff to do! (see below)

Check out my face! This is the point the guys did the whole "youre not attached" joke

Nevis Highwire Bungy - 134m (3rd highest in world) and 8 second freefall

The Shotover Canyon Swing

Never planned to do a bungy jump but so glad I did - It was unreal! Had the adrenaline shakes and biggest grin afterwards and whenever I think back to it I get a recreation of that stomach lerch feeling of falling, falling, falling...

The Canyon Swing was just as crazy...I was second last to go so the suspense was killing me anyway but the crazy guys there keep you talking while you're right on the edge, and then just after I did my backwards leap their faces changed to *nooooo...you're not ready to go yeeeeeet* - Freaked me out majorly and stomach leaped out of my body I swear!

Check out the pics for more =)
Off to Milford Sound then onwards to Franz Josef Glacier for a trek next..

More beautiful scenery

Sun, 27 Jan 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Other than whats in the latest photos, I have been diving on the Greatness

Whitehaven beach

of the Great Barrier Reef itself! On the Whitsundays boat trip I went with Becks and another advanced diver, but on the boat trip from Cairns, Me and Hannah got to go out on our own! Was an awesome experience, with stunning coral and marine life down there. Saw a white tip reef shark about 2.5 metres and a humumgous dude of a turtle which I swam alongside for ages! Wish I'd hired an underwater camera really to prove I saw these amazing things...maybe next time ey ;-)

So it's G'bye to Australia now (flying to Sydney tonight where we are staying with a friend we met in Thailand) then to New Zealand it is on Tuesday! The past 6 weeks really have flown by! But now I'm majorly looking forward to our planned adrenaline filled adventures!

Paradise

Sun, 20 Jan 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Our 4 wheel drive beauty

Returned just the other day from a couple of nights camping on Fraser Island. Was absolutely beautiful, awesome to have a go with the 4 wheel drive along the beach and bumpy off road tracks, we were really lucky with the weather and we all knew each other in our group of 10 so had a fab time! Check out the pics, although I gotta say that it looks so much better in real life!

Other than that theres a bit more picture-tour-wise on what I got upto in Brisbane and our one day in Noosa.

Off to The Whitsundays in a bit for 3 nights which look unbelievable in the postcards, but hoping the weather will clear up a little as its been raining rather too much for our liking the past 2 days. As long as we make it there though I guess seeing as some groups have had their boats cancel on them! Will keep you posted xx

Lazy H

Thu, 10 Jan 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Getting lazy, must be something to do with the laid back way of life out here...or maybe it's a sign I'm turning into a traveller beach bum...nooooooo! Had a surfing lesson and loved it, would love to take it up =)

But anyway, check out the photos I've just put up and comments would be lovely as that makes me think people are actually looking at this thing. If I get any maybe I'll write more next time hehe xx

Christmaaaaas time

Sat, 29 Dec 2007 00:00:00 GMT

View of Sydney from Glebe where we are staying

Got to Sydney on the 23rd and have been staying at a YHA in Glebe. A trip to The Blue Mountains was well worth it for the amazing views. Spent Christmas eve with Hannah in a couple of bars in The Rocks area, then Christmas day we had a BBQ at our hostel (with not just Turkey, but kanagroo too!) then went to Bondi Beach. Was cloudy all day but just chilled out, and met up with Rosie - was great to catch up with how her travels have been going! Took cider along with us but ended up hiding it in a bush and taking it home with us after getting told it was an Alcohol-free place. No worries though cause finished it off over a game of Monopoly that evening at the Hostel! Had a really good day, but despite all the santa hats on the beach, it didn't really feel like Christmas all that much!

Our plan was to head up the coast to Byron Bay for New Year, but couldn't find ourselves a place to stay sooooo it's Sydney Harbour for NYE - awesome! Should be crazy! Gotta get there really early to save a spot! Sorry this is a crappy short entry, maybe check out the photos for more..

Wishing you all a HAPPY NEW YEAR!!! Keep me updated on what you're all getting up to!

Oz-tralia, begins!

Thu, 20 Dec 2007 00:00:00 GMT

Howard and Pam, the family friends who put up with us...i mean, put us up!

Really excited to be here in Australia! Arrived on the 18th and have been treated like royalty by my parents friends, Howard and Pam who have put us up for 4 nights. They have been showing off the amazing area as our personal tour guides!

On the evening we arrived we went to The Dandenong range for an amazing view over Melbourne followed by an Ozzie BARBIE (my fave) with sausages and really tender beef steak

The next day we went to Healsville Sanctuary to see all the typical aussie animals. Much more open than a zoo and saw the birds of prey show and got a talk from the Koala Bear keeper. Although they have some really cool animals, I couldn't help but think those Ibis birds were a little cheeky as it stole cake from my hand as I was eating it! Really great day out though. That evening the 3 of us wanted to see Victoria night market so we got a train into town and were amazed by the choice of food available. I settled for Ethiopian fodda which was a nice change.

Yesterday was a long day which included a lot of driving for Howard. We started by visiting Arthur's Seat which overlooks Mornington Penninsula, stopped at Sorrento for lunch then briefly visited Portsea back beach. After an incident with the cars windscreen wipers (they broke in the middle of a thunderstorm) we headed to Philip Island to see the Penguin Parade. Here, every evening at dusk you can go to watch the "little penguins" (smallest type in the world) come in from sea and go to find their burrows. We got to see them really up close and could hear (and got a little show of) them mating when they got back to their nests! I was giggling at how the waves swept them back into the sea, how they waddle, preen themselves and look lost. Funny little things, defo one of my fave animals i reckon!

Anyways, I'll take this opportunity to say HAPPY CHRISTMAS to you all! Hope you all enjoy the festivities xxxxx

Singapore

Thu, 20 Dec 2007 00:00:00 GMT

Singapore skyscrapers, yet still find room for a rugby pitch

Singapore slings and peanuts at Raffles

Felt really crazy to get to such a developed country! As you can see from the photo it's got a pretty cool skyline! The highlights of our 2 days there were a bumboat trip along the river, a "Sigapore Sling" at Raffles hotel (yummy fruity cocktail at the place it was beautifully designed, and that provides free peanuts whose shells you chuck on the floor as irony at how clean the city is), and a trip to Sentosa Island to Underwater World and to see the Pink Dolphin show, where I got picked to go up to the front and meet one of the cute, intelligent animals! Chuffed!

Whistle Stop Tour of Cambodia

Thu, 20 Dec 2007 00:00:00 GMT

After deciding it WAS worth the long travel to make it there (rather than visit somewhere else in Thailand), we had just 2/3 days in Cambodia. Some of the things I noticed about the country:

- how crazily bumpy the road from the Thai border was (because they apparently bribe the council not to change this so that tourists will fly across instead)
- how dusty it is, kinda like India but they actually wear surgeon-type masks here to save their lungs. We actually saw a girl come off her bike (recreated Becky's stunt, not surprising really with all that slidey dust)
- how green the country is - there were really well kept, pretty gardens especially around Siem Reap
- roads are packed with motorcyclists and bicycles...the cars have no chance against them!
- most of all though, I thought the people were very friendly, and although like India they are desperate for your custom, they were very welcoming and humorous in their approach to us.

Angkor Wat (the biggest religious building, EVER)

The day we spent seeing the Angkor temples in Siem Reap was awesome. Didn't actually realise at the time that they are one of the 7 wonders of the world, but I can see why! The architecture was so detailed and the way it appears to be falling apart just makes it really atmospheric. We got up early to see sunrise at the Angkor Wat which is the main, biggest one. Lots of tourists there, just like at the Taj Mahal but was still quite peaceful watching the sun come up. Visited 6 of the many temples. Ta Prohm, where part of Tomb Raider was filmed, was a favorite because it's almost been left to its own devices, with a characteristic life of it's own (the trees sprout out of it all over the place!).

That evening we had some Amok (really nice Cambodian food) then watched some traditional Cambodian Aspera dancing.

From there we went to the capital, Phnom Pehn. Watched the film, The

The Tuol Sleng Museum (S-21 Prison)

Killing Fields before heading out the next day. However, this film did not even slightly prepare me for what we learnt and saw there! Firstly we went to Tuol Sleng Museum which was a school that got converted into a prison by the communist group of people called the Kymer Rouge (who took over the government, erased religion, healthcare, money etc). They imprisoned and killed anyone who was "educated", with a total of around 3 million deaths over the period 1975-9. So this museum had horrific photos and our guide didn't hold back on the details..

A natural progression for us tourists from there was to the "Killing Fields" where everyone from the prison was taken to be killed and thrown into mass graves. It really is indescribable. I just found all that had happened there just 30 years ago both inhumane and unbelievable! The 3 of us were very quite the whole day, not really knowing what to say, and it certainly makes you think twice before complaining about anything! Ended the day with a (insignificant) trip to the Royal Palace and a few drinks and a game of pool by the river.

Overall, was really glad we took those days to visit Cambodia and shall be reading Becky's book about the Kymer Rouge when shes finished.

The rest of the wonders of Thailand

Tue, 18 Dec 2007 00:00:00 GMT

Wehey! It's really good stuff that this entry is still here! I saved it as draft by accident (actually wrote it on the 11th)....

Following on from Koh Phangan then.. (man this blog is getting a bit too

Full moon party

official and boring and making me realise I'd never make a career in journalism)! 24th Nov saw a full moon. This + being on Ko Phangan = one hell of a huuuge beach party! Buckets of alcohol (cheap Sang som rum, which actually tastes like whisky, and bacardi predominated our evening), along with applying neon paint to show up in UV at our Canadian friends place (the guys we met while riding round on mopeds), and combined with dancing on the sand, oh and table which buckled under my weight and gave me yet another lovely sratch to add to my collection. Was a manic night, with a lot of pissed up, if not drugged up with mushroom shakes, people around.. but generally was a really fun night, followed by a sureal sunrise =) (and a very messy looking beach)

From there, we went to Koh Tao, where we stayed at Buddha View (thanks for the recommendation Sis). Me and Hannah "buddied up" to do our open water PADI scuba diving course (while Becks stormed ahead with her advanced). Had to study a bit and the early mornings were tiring, but managed a good barbie and beer every evening, chilling at Buddha Bar. Aweeeeesome! Really getting into barbequed fish! The people on our course with us became good pals and it was such a social, chilled and happy atmosphere there! Oh and there was a hell of a lot of fish to be seen in that ocean! Highlight for me so far me thinks.

My Scuba Group!

That took 5 days, then we headed to the infamous Koh Phi Phi Don...bumped into Jen again (travelling world is a small one as everyone seems to go to the same places!). It wasn't as tranquil on this Island as I had imagined, and when we did the Island tour (with really good, clear snorkelling) I actually thought Bamboo Island was far nicer than Maya Bay of Koh Phi Phi Lay (where they filmed The Beach). Got up really early one morning to go snorkelling with black-tip Reef Sharks which was class! Only 1-2 metres long but seeing sharks circling you about 3 metres away was kinda surreal. I've definately become an ocean lover! Can't wait to get to the great barrier reef!

Rai Leh West Beach

Last stop on Thailand (other than Bangkok again) was Railay. It's mainly a climbing place but I didn't actually do the whole official ropes thing. Still, absolutely loved the surrounding cliffs and the fact that our beach Ton Sai cannot be reached by land. Instead of doing the proper climbing thing, me and Becks went clambering up the very steep hill to a view point over the bay with the South African friends we'd met. The plan was to see the Lagoon just round the corner, but unfortunately time got the better of us, and planning ahead (by booking a bus ticket out of Railay) prevented us from getting there =( Got a glimpse of it through the trees though, and it looked pretty cool. Ah well, shall have to buy the postcard and pretend! Or go back someday....heh, any excuse right?!

Am actually in Cambodia writing this but shall update on that some other time! Thinking of you all back home in the run up till Christmas. Shall miss the snow and Christmas spirit! And it will certainly feel weird not being with you all for Christmas! xx

From Goa beach to Thai Island beach

Thu, 22 Nov 2007 00:00:00 GMT

Alreeeet?! Just put a load more pics on here with captions which hopefully tell the story of the past week-or-so fairly well. Not sure they came on as a logical order though!

Our beach hut, Goa

Feels like I'm going back ages but it's only been just over a week since we were there..! Palolem beach, Goa was mostly spent relaxing really. (Except for a spot of bodyboarding which i absolutely Loved!). Becky was really ill for 4 out of the 5 days with what was apparently severe Delhi Belly! Was really great to just be on a beach and get into my new book (Da Vinci Code) and eat fresh pinapple and coconut (which you can break open yourself if you're lucky enough to see a ripe one fall off right by your cocohut...!).

Back in Mumbai we headed to the Gateway of India and went into the reeeeally posh hotel opposite it. In the Evening we went to see "Om Shanti Om", a big Bollywood blockbuster which was the number one film over Divali. Was hilariously cheesy and even though it was mainly Hindi, we totally got what was going on (with a little help from the random English they threw in) and we were singing the songs from it all evening/the next day when they came on the radio in our taxi to the airport!

Got to Bangkok on 17th Nov and spent just one night there at a Hippie-ish place just off and away from the bustling, tourist-infested, Ko San Road. Didn't get to see much of the attractions of Bangkok (despite trying/turning up too late for the Grand Palace) but plan to do more when we get back before heading to Cambodia! However, my first impressions of the city were all good! Its a really busy place and a nice change for us to be around so many backpackers! Also, I just cant get over how good and how cheap the food is! Street vendors RULE and I'm addicted to the pancakes, pat thai, masamam curry and even loving the seafood, mainly shrimp! (which is a big thing for a gal not fond of fish).

One of the many thai meals. Pad Thai, mmmmm

Overnight bus down to mainland near Ko Pha Ngan was interesting. The service with cake, coffee, blankets and hot towels was amazing but didnt get much sleep as stretching out was difficult.. Arrived on Ko Pha Ngan Island on 19th Nov and its so crazily pretty! Despite the rain on arrival! (needs to be kept that lovely green colour somehow i guess). Have met lots of people here already and dancing on the beach is loads of fun! They have buckets of alcohol here which are the big thing, so rum and coke shall be flowing aplenty on the full moon party on 24th!

Yesterday (21st Nov) we decided to hire Mopeds to explore more of the island. Met 4 Canadian guys doing the same thing at the moped place so we stuck together for the day in convoy! So funny that there was such a long line of us! I was pretty apprehensive and also pretty shite at controlling the thing to start with, but after a while i really enjoyed riding! Went to a waterfall and then on to Hat Yao on the NW of the island which was a lovely beach so did some swimming with the fishes. Snorkelling is yet to come though..

On the ride back from this place...something kinda mega happened! Becks skidded and fell off her moped! Promtly followed by Hannah copying her move to avoid running over her! I didnt see it happen but it was due to a dusty groud + a getting-confident/cocky-with-her-bike-becky. So we went to the nearest medical centre for the wounds to be cleaned and Becks had 10 stiches for the deep wound on her forearm!! All very crazy but lucky they weren't going any faster and they have nothing more than a lot of cuts and sexy bandages/dressings! Sure is a story for them to tell!

In other crazy news...just bumped into Jen, a friend from Uni! Knew she was travelling but had no idea she was in Thailand! Had a sureal time swapping storys!, and will no doubt be bumping into each other again, on this island and also in Oz!

Hope all you crazy people that actually read this far are doing well! Will try and send more personal e-mails next time i get to an internet place. Much love, H xx

Back to India

Sun, 11 Nov 2007 00:00:00 GMT

Stepping over the border (over a metal bar) between Nepal and India was pretty odd, and straight away could tell we were back in India with pushy jeep taxi drivers trying to get us into their jeep! Crammed 4 of us into the middle section so the 1 1/2 hour journey to Gorakhpur wasnt the most comfortable. This busy town has a busy rail network which we stayed near, ate at a locals place where they looked at us funny when we asked for the menu and there was no cuttlery (had chicken curry, which tasted reeeally good!). Was expecting Delhi Belly after this experience though!

Our train to Delhi was 14hours, and my 1st overnight train (we splashed out on 3 tier A/C). Went very smoothly, just an hour delay and actually got some sleep! The other 2 people sharing our carriage were a wealthy Indian couple. The guy was extremely chatty, and told us he has the cure for HIV/AIDS/Cancer/everything else! It's called Transfer Factor. Spread the word! :-/ really impressed with the train, and love how they constantly come round with cheap chai, coffee, panne (water) and food!

Did more sight seeing in Delhi (Jama Masjid and the Red Fort), and the next day, after a month of avoiding it, and progressively getting more and more slack with what we ate...me and Hannah both got the dreaded Delhi Belly! We blame the street mo-mo we ate!

Flew to Mumbai and stayed at our worst accom yet (we each saw a rat while we were there). Mumbai is loads different to Delhi. 1st thoughts:

- so much more developed with more modern buildings, sky scrapers
- lots of black (and yellow) cabs
- contrast between rich and poor! saw pretty grim slums on drive to accom
- roads are much more developed and less manic
- less pestering people
- a LOT hotter/humid. was 33 degrees on landing at 5pm and stayed so hot all evening
- people actually have pet dogs as opposed to just strays everywhere

Watched some cricket at the uni field, went to Chowpatty beach for sunset, and saw a few fireworks for Divali celebrations. Then had to head to the impressive train station (Victoria Terminus).

Got to Goa by overnight train and headed straight to Palolem where the beach is absolutely stunning, lined by palm trees, and we're staying in a beech hut! The lower "sleeper class" train was lots cheaper than our last train and worked out just fine as were were in a carriage with other travellers (a really lovely chatty couple). Have been in the sea which is unbelievably warm and bought a frisbee for our time here =) Also, went to some bars last night for a few beers and had cocktails with Becks at Cafe del Mar (the main bar with all the travellers).

Palolem

I know it's crazy i'm inside doing this blog when its such a beautiful place out there, but I'm feeling a little crappy with my Delhi belly and the Sun is rather strong for my dehyrated self (I threw up my malaria tablet this morning along with the orange/rehydraton sachet i'd had for breakfast). Getting hungry again now so best get off (hungry helen=grouchy helen).

Hope this ain't been too waffly. Till next time my friends x H x

Chitwan National Park, Nepal

Sun, 11 Nov 2007 00:00:00 GMT

Had 4 days in Chitwan National Park where I:-

- Got a ride on the back of our guest house owner's (Ganesh's) motorbike
- Saw many a buuuutiful sunset over the river

Chitwan.. Yeeeah i'm gonna get good at sunset pics =)

- Went to a Tharu culture evening, where the Tharu people performed dances with sticks to drums and they had some other crazy dances in crazy costumes (e.g. giant peacock!). After they danced they invited people on the stage to dance round in a circle so I got dragged up by Ganesh, and so promptly grabbed Hannahs hand to drag her and Becks up too! Was such a good laugh..

Safari....on an elephant...

- Conquered the jungle by getting a canoe ride down the river (with 2 of the guys from our guest house as guides) and walked for 3 hours back through the shrubs, trees etc. Got rather scratched as we had to fight our way through the bushes, but was totally worth it to be with relatively unspoilt nature! All I actually saw was a croc in the river, lots of birds and millions of red cotton bugs and leeches (ewww)..oh, and monkeys but they are everywhere anyway! Later that same day, we did the elephant safari where we saw loads more (mongoose, dear and rhinos!). Gutted bout the lack of tiger spotting, but it's rare people see them now.
- Spent an evening round a bbq learning Nepal songs from some pissed locals who work as guides for jungle trips..they like their rum!
- Bathed the elephants in the river! (Becks has the photos. Her blog is www.statravelblogs.com/beckybouk). Basically scrub them with a rough Stone as hard as poss and they love it! Also I sat on her back afterwards and got splashed with water from her trunk, then dunked in =) Another sureal moment being so close to an elephant, it was defo one of my fave moments
- Went to see the baby elephants at the breeding centre. Not sure what I really feel about the whole thing actually cause they get tied up for parts of the day, hit with sticks when they try to escape, and breeding elephants purely to train them for safari...hmmmm...

Annapurna Sanctuary Trek

Wed, 31 Oct 2007 00:00:00 GMT

Puked up my malaria tablet this morning, which was a great start to the day.. Got worse though when we got hit by another bus on our way from Kathmandu to Pokhara! At the time i had my back turned to the window and was talking to Hannah on the seat next to me and a Guy from Taiwan called Chang across the aisle. He said later that he saw it coming, scary! All i remember is hearing a real loud crash/glass smashing noise and the bus coming to a stop with deadly silence from everyone on it! Then, looked around, realised everone was looking in my general direction, noticed I had a LOT of glass pieces on me and then turned to see it was my window only that the other bus has smashed! In our hour wait to return to the bus, we found out the other bus came round a corner too fast and its back end hit us. The glass was all over the 3 of us...tiny smitherines which

My seat (we had to sit back here without any cleaners whatsoever)

looked like glitter. Only a few tiny tiny cuts to show for it, could have been a hell of a lot worse and still feels sureal that it even happened! Kept finding pieces of glass in our bags/hair/bras which were a little reminder!

The next day we caught the bus from Pokhara to start our trek (this time we sat on the roof which was loads of fun, best air-con ever, maybe a little too cold though). Missed our planned stop of Phedi but this cut out a day of our trek as we started from Nayapul. All worked out just dandy really. In total we spent 7 days doing The Annapurna Sancturary Trek (4 up, 3 down). This was pretty fast pace as 7-10 is recommended. And also we got a lot of respect from people as we carried our own backpacks rather than hiring a porter! (they carry soooo much stuff on their heads, its unbelievable. Felt real bad for them as it much be such hard work). We also didn't have a guide so went a little out of the way a couple of times but mostly it was either obvious/there were locals around to ask.

Anyway, the trek was without a doubt the best thing i've ever done! So glad we did it, and although I felt knackered at times it was totally worth it was the beautiful rivers, waterfalls, wildlife and friendly locals/porters constantly saying Nameste (hello) along the way... plus, obviously, the stunning mountains which surround you at the top (Annapurna Sanctuary). Another once-in-a-lifetime thing we did was to sleep in the dining room at the top (as there was no spare rooms and we wanted to see the mountains at sunrise. Also we hadn't seen them all yet as it was cloudy when we got there). This room was maybe twice the size of a normal lounge and there were 34 Nepali porters/Indian tourists sleeping in it! We were crammed in, forced into the spooning position. Pretty pissed off at one point as an Indian tourist behind me tried to grope me, but i promptly told him to get off, which he did, then had a giggle in Hindi to his mates. Didn't sleep that night cos it was just really uncomfortable as could not stretch out or move position much at all, but it was definiately an interesting experience and makes you feel bad for the porters who have to do it all the time!

We made it!

The last evening on our trek we stayed at a place called Ghinu which had natural hot springs by the river! B.e.a.u.t.i.f.u.l. I have not been in one before and there could be no better time to do it than after a trek which caused achy quads and buttocks =) From this,

Moi enjoying the luuurvly hot springs at Ghinu

back to Pokhara the next day where we went for a meal and drinks/pool with some Nepali guys we met at the top, was a lovely end to an awesome week. We hired a boat on Pokhara lake the day after for 2 hours and then went for a meal where i ate buffalo curry! Tough but tasty =) Looking forward to trying more new things....

To Nepal... (this should come before the trek blog entry)

Wed, 31 Oct 2007 00:00:00 GMT

Got to Kathmandu, Nepal on 20th October just in time to catch the end of Dasain, the Hindu religious festival. Un/fortunately (not sure which) we didn't see the animal sacrifices that day, which we heard from a girl called Reb who we be-friended that evening were extremely horrific! The band we went to see after another cheap meal out in the evening were really good, played all the classics like Dire Straights, Blondie, Chillis etc. It was a place called Shisha Terrace..don't think it was tobacco in the Shishas though going on how a group of Nepalis were acting..

Next day we did the Buddhist temple thing. Went to Durbar Square by cycle rickshaw (poor guy with 3 of us crammed on!). It's a really interesting place and would have liked to stay longer, relaxing on the steps of the temples, and learn more about the buildings but we were keen to get to the Monkey Temple!

So I had heard that the wild monkeys up there did tricks like slide down bannisters and steal things from you, so after a while of just seeing them eat i decided to offer one a leaf...Not the best idea cos it yoinked it from my hand along with a big swish of its claws

Monkeeeeeeys

into my flesh! Cheeky (nasty) monkey gave me 3 little scratches on my hand. There were a lot of Buddhist monks at the top, and the view of Kathmandu from there was awesome!

Kathmandu from Monkey temple

Taj Mahal

Tue, 30 Oct 2007 00:00:00 GMT

Whoa this feels like a long time ago now..

The night before we went the Taj Mahal, we stayed at a place near Agra called Bharatpur because our taxi driver, Mhabar (who we had been with for the past few days as this saved time compared to busing it, and wasn't too expensive) had invited us to his home for dinner. We had discussed and very much liked the sound of a moonlight view of the Taj from a hostel in Agra, but after a bit of thought, and a toss of the coin which made us realise which we'd actually prefer...we ended up going to his house. Did not regret it because his family were so lovely and welcoming, treated us like royalty as they cooked authentic indian dal for us, we drank the niceset masala chai and they watched us eat (despite the fact that the mother and daughter were fasting). Afterwards we managed to get a demonstration of Hindi dancing (only after we danced for them lol). Was an amazing experience to get a glimpse of Mhabar's life (Becks got the photos).

Despite being a great guy though, Mhabar turned up 15 mins late to pick us up the next morning, so we saw the sunrise on our way to the Taj as opposed to at the Taj. Therefore, we missed the changing colour from red to orange etc which was a shame but it was still a lot less touristy when we got there. I dunno how to descride it cos i'm crap with words but it was stunning/beautiful and you've just got to be in awe of how it was built when you know the romantic story and see how the semi-precious stones are embedded in the marble (we went to a craft museum after it which showed us how it would have been made)

Took so many pics, i couldnt decide which to put up!!

Typical shot of Taj

(took far too many photos)

After a couple of peaceful hours there we were pretty hungry due to a severe lack of breakfast, and it began to get busy so we went to a place nearby where you sit on the floor to eat, and a monkey was constantly dropping mushy fruit on us from the trees above! Love it!

Cheeky monkey

Saw the Agra fort from the road but had to get back to Delhi so didn't bother going in, and the Red fort in Delhi is meant to be better which we planned to visit. Stopped at another tomb on the drive back, so overall it was a day of seeing amazing craftsmanship in the form of buildings and a long drive back to Delhi.

First thoughts of India

Wed, 17 Oct 2007 00:00:00 GMT

Things I Love about India:

- The FOOD! Its's soooo good and eating out is amazingly cheap. Bananas are 3 for 1p
- The bright colours the women wear

Dali Haat Market

- How friendly, smiley and helpful they are (especially after you speak to them in Hindi or wave anyway). They also seem to have very close knit families which is so lovely
- Indians never seem to be in a rush and are very patient people. The are also very hard working!
- The monkies at the side of the road!
- The cows at the side of the road
- Tuk Tuks! (crazy nippy motorbike-type taxis you hop on after haggling price for)
- The weather (at the moment anyway)
- Rural areas are very green and grow soooo much sugar
- Chai (Indian Tea)
- Cheap hostels (tonight it is less than a quid each)
- How proud Indians are to be Indians (or from what the people we have met have said)
- The lack of backpackers here!

Things not so good:

- Being scammed! and ripped off cos they think we are rich and will pay what we pay in england here!
- How hard we have found it to book trains!
- Obviously, the poverty... it's heartbreaking having children come up to our taxi asking for money for food
- Accidentally eating whole chillis and feeling like there is fire in my mouth lol

Stuffs i find strange/funny:

- The traffic...they have no rules except that you can do what you want as long as you beep your horn!
- Being stared at everywhere you go

People staring (not posing for photo)

- They all seem to know and like the name Helen
- Cows pulling huuuuge wagons around
- Dogs everywhere (not had rabies jab = run like the wind away from them)
- How diverse the country is, wealth-wise.

Have been to the Lotus Temple in Delhi a.k.a Syndey Opera House! And to Dali Haat, which is a big market did really good food! Also have been to a school set up by the CSW for Dalits (the poorest people), which explains the photos. They have done amazing things to set that up for them as the have great education now, wheras before they were not allowed into schools!

Lotus Temple, Delhi. a.k.a Sydney Opera House

Off to see the Taj Mahal tomorrow, leaving hostel at 5.30am to see it at Sunrise.
Till next time,
H xx

From Theatre in the West End to Heathrow Airport

Wed, 10 Oct 2007 00:00:00 GMT

I'm all packed (i.e. just about managed to squeeze 5 months worth of stuff in a 50l backpack) and heading to London with the parents tomorrow morning. Will be watching Phantom of the Opera at Her Majestys Theatre tomorrow evening, which is a bloody good start to it all if you ask me. I'm writing this in advance because I don't know where I will be the next time I write, so farewell for now =) Keep in touch! xx

Getting to grips with blog...

Tue, 09 Oct 2007 00:00:00 GMT

Where I call home

So I should be packing or something really, but I thought it would be much more fun to fight the technology-battle with this blog. I will try not to bore you all too much while I'm away with lots of long paragraphs, but instead I shall put lots of photos up! How does that sound?