A long break in Goa...

Sorry I didn't publish my Hampi blog before - how annoying! Anyway, we are catching a bus in 8 minutes so I'm afraid it's going to be a quick update until I can send a more detailed one! We spent a whole week in Goa to chill out on the beach which was lovely. We stayed in Anjuna and visited a few different beaches while we were there. It was really sad to see that Goa has changed beyond recognition since we were there on family holidays. The government have gone overboard with ridiculous rules and regulations and so tourism has gone down by 50%. Anyway, we are in the wonderful Rajasthan!! I love it already. It's very chilled out, the people are really friendly and the cooler climate is quite welcome. Spent an afternoon in Udaipur but will be back in a few days - now getting a night bus to Jaisalmer. Better run!! I will update ASAP!!!!

Lots of love xxxxxx

Hampi! And onto Goa...

I meant to post this last week some time but it doesn't look like it worked! Sorry, here is my last update...

Argh worst journey ever! Night train to Mangalore was fine, but when we got to the bus station there weren't regular buses at all, which is what we had been told. It There was one bus at 8pm that night, but having arrived in the hole that is Mangalore at 9am we could not bear to stay there all day! Just decided to get someone to drive us, which he said would take 8/9 hours. 11 hours later we arrived! The roads were terrible. But my goodness was it worth it!! It was 10pm but as we drove up to the ruins the moonlight flooded the place and it looked really magical =). We found a place to stay (didn't notice til later that it didn't have a sink!), just about managed to eat (everywhere has to close at 10pm here! And no alcohol. AND 100% vegetarian!!) and prepared for an early morning. Hampi is just such a cool place. Lots of little quirky backstreets with rooftop restaurants, all with cushions on the floor and low tables. It's got a really chilled atmosphere and great shopping too. I love it!!! We both got a pair of the obligatory and crazy Ali Barber trousers! I'm sure there will be a time when I look back and wonder what on earth I thought I looked like haha. We got a rickshaw to take us around the ruins and temples all afternoon which was great. It's all so well preserved it's a really fascinating place. Sadly the biggest ruins like the old elephant stables charge about 4 pounds to see, so we just snuck round and looked over the wall =).

The next day we went over the other side of the river where it's beautiful countryside with people working in the rice paddies, and lots of little waterfalls to sit in (which we did after having ridden around on bikes! It's seriously hot here with the sun reflecting off all the rocks). Then it was time to get to Goa. We were sad to leave but had definitely seen almost everything! First experience of the sleeper bus. At the station we were all sat there and when this horrible looking bus turned up no one got up as we thought it couldn't possibly be ours! But it was, of course. There were 2 people to each bed which was tiny, and didn't have anything to stop the person on the inside falling out! Bad for Sam as she was on the inside! However, I did get the shock of my life when a gecko jumped through the window and onto my shoulder!! Couldn't believe such a creature who you can never normally get close to was just there staring at me!! I screamed like a girl and everyone assumed I had seen a cockroach. It was quite funny. The rest of the journey was awful, but anyway we arrived in Panjim, Goa, at 6.30am and made our way straight to Anjuna via Mapusa. Goa is so sleepy and quiet (especially on the roads) compared to everywhere else! It was so nice, even by 8am nobody was up yet! We found a place to stay where most other travellers stay on Anjuna Beach. It's really nice, lots to do. Beach isn't great, but I knew from previous trips to Goa that it's not the best. It was lovely to chill on the beach anyway and go in the sea again. Perfect weather too - clear skies and bright sunshine =). Fantastic garlic butter prawns for dinner. Yum. Almost killed tonight tho. A totally drugged up guy on a motorbike drove straight at me even though it was a completely clear road, so I had to throw myself out the way almost down a ditch! Scary. THAT'S why you don't ride motorbikes in Goa! Went to Baga that night because apparently there is more going on there, with bars and clubs. It is truly awful compared to how it used to be 10 years (or more?!) ago but lots to do I suppose.

Yesterday we went to Little Vagator, where our favourite restaurant is from previous holidays. Pleased to see it hasn't changed much, and one of the owners remembered me! Had my favourite dish: shark fish tikka. Amazing. Got a little bit burnt in the sun, obviously. All English just have to get burnt on holiday! That night was the Saturday night market in Arpora which was really really busy but good fun. Did a bit of shopping and had some good food.

Today we went to Arambol beach which was pretty great. It is relatively untouched, mostly with independent travellers sitting on the beach and a few shacks. It's a huge beach and quite quiet so we will almost definitely come back here. Really enjoying Goa and using it as chill out time before it's all "go go go" up in Rajasthan. Can't believe we've only been away for 2 weeks!!

xxxxxxx

Munnar

Fort Cochin

Fort Cochin

Munnar at sunrise

At the top of the mountain!

Breakfast on the mountain

Cycling around Fort Cochin was so much fun! We got to know the area pretty well, and were able to see a lot more by bike. It really is a lovely town, with lots of pretty old French/Spanish/Dutch houses, some with courtyards and pretty gardens with restaurants. We took our bikes on the ferry over to Vipin Island, thinking that we could cycle to the beach but unfortunately it turned out to be 25km away so we had to get a bus. It was not fun. It was heaving with people to hanging-out-the-door point and it flew around the corners. We hung on for dear life and hoped that every next stop would be ours! Anyway, turned out to be a complete waste of time as it was just a big beach but full of Indians so felt very uncomfortable in bikinis. I would rather have chilled out in a nice cafe back in Fort Cochin! Ah well, we're bound to make mistakes along the way.

We wanted to go to Hampi the following day but the trains were full until tonight, so we booked that and decided to head up to Munnar for 1 night. What a good decision!! Munnar is absolutely beautiful. Only about 4 hours from Cochin, it's a completely different place full of lush greenery, huge forests and up in the mountains the hills are full of tea plantations which were planted by the British from 1880. This morning we went on a morning trek from 6:30am with 3 other travellers who were really nice. The trek took us through the tea plantations, then up a mountain of 2,100 metres. It took 3 hours to walk up, but when we reached the top it was absolutely stunning. You can see across miles of the mountainous region, and we were so high you could see the top of the clouds! We stopped for breakfast there and it was the best picnic spot I've ever been to! It took 3 hours to get back down then it was time to head back to Cochin, where we're getting a sleeper train to Mangalore, then a bus to Hampi. Really looking forward to seeing Hampi!! xx

Houseboats and Fort Cochin

Varkala was lovely and we didn't really want to leave, but lots to see so we got the 6.30am train up to Allepy to get a houseboat along the backwaters. I was very upset to hear that they stopped doing the punted houseboats about 3 years ago so we had no choice but to get a fuel-driven one and the houseboats have changed significantly since we went to Kerala as a family some ten years ago =(. Just goes to show some experiences really are once in a lifetime! Anyway, we had our own houseboat with a captain, chef and engine man. Very comfortable, good food and spectacular views. Really can't get away from the beeping horns though - even the boats have them and unfortunately our captain was rather fond of his. In the evening we moored up outside the chef's house and close to the captain's house, so we were invited in the meet their families. They were lovely and offered us drinks. We also tried the Indian coconut toddy which was quite disgusting, and the smell quite vomit-inducing. They bottle it up and drink it like beer - that's what they call it here. They have special pubs for the field workers to come and drink in the evenings so it's quite a sociable culture.
In the morning it was finally time for a proper Indian breakfast of curried eggs and sweet coconut noodles. It was quite nice, but wouldn't choose it instead of toast! When we got back we got a train and then a rickshaw to Fort Cochin where we are staying at Dream Catcher's Homestay. We got horribly lost when looking for the Dutch Palace and it was actually closed when we got there an hour later. Typical. Looking forward to seeing all of Fort Cochin tomorrow as we plan to stay 2 nights here.

You will be pleased to hear that we have been offered a ride on the back of a motorbike a couple of times now but we have been boring and refused, as were my instructions before leaving. After a hair-raising journey with a few rickshaw-and-bus sandwiches in Cochi I was glad not to be on a motorbike as I do value my life =). Might try getting a bicycle tomorrow to see Fort Cochin as it's quiet with little traffic, so will let you know how we get on.

Eleanor xx

We made it to Kerala!

Yesterday we left Mamallapuram to head to Kerala. We could not get the train because it would have been a 4/5 day wait, and the buses were very packed all because there is apparently a huge temple festival in Kerala, which runs for 2 months until the end of January, so all transport was booked up. This could also have been a massive lie, but we didn't know how we could find out! We were offered a car, which we were originally going to share half way with another guy to split the cost but unfortunately he decided not the go at the last minute. Since we had the idea of a nice comfortable car in our heads we decided to treat ourselves to the comfort of the back of a classic white Ambassador with our own driver. Well, we have been working for over a year for this so why not! Car journey was fine, lots of interesting sights to take in. 6 hours later we made it half way down Tamil Nadu to Madurai, one of the oldest cities in South Asia. Nice, it was not. However, we were only stopping for the night so we quickly found somewhere cheap to stay and settled in. Well, had a shower in the bathroom which was buzzing with insects! Had a nice dinner on their rooftop restaurant overlooking the city. Woke up in total horror at the amount of bugs crawling around our beds and felt quite sick. The light of day revealed exactly how grimy the place was! Oh well, we survived =)

Our journey today was just over 8 hours, but it was worth it. We drove through the capital, Trivandrum, and carried on a little up the coast to Varkala. It is gorgeous here, lovely beach and beautifully quiet. Reminds me a little of Goa. We're staying in a really pretty old Portuguese Guesthouse for about 6 pounds each per night. (there is no pound sign on this keyboard!). Watched the sunset and had fantastic fresh red snapper and garlic prawns for dinner. Wonderful!! Already decided the instant we arrived that after all the travelling we have done in the last couple of days we would stay here tomorrow night as well and just enjoy being here for a whole day. 

=) xxx

First Day

Just a quick note to say we arrived safely in Chennai and have made our way down to Mamallapuram by the coast. It's really nice but we want to head to Kerala tomorrow as we have seen everything here. It is a long long way, so will probably spend most of the day on a train!

Slight problem with our amazing "Caxton Global Traveller" Mastercards - they don't work in ATMs here. Will have to sort that one out tomorrow!

Anyway we are exhausted and off to have an early night =)

Speak soon x

leaving day!

So its finally time to go! We're sat in the airport having some breakfast and discussing our route. We have just realised that we should probably discuss where to go tomorrow!! Anyway we are boarding shortly so must go. I'll let you know when we're in India =) xx