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Goa... Gokarna... Mangalore... Madekeri...Mysore
2nd November - 6th November
Hey - ok so its been a month now since Jen headed back to the UK (very sad saying goodbye) but its gone fairly quickly.
Headed back down to Indian border via minibus and scary fast packed jeep! Stayed in the wosrt town in the world - Ghorakpur - pretty disgusting - rubbish and filth everywhere - stayed in a cheap hotel (only option) and came away with bed bug bites - nice! (a reason for spending a little more in India as cleanliness in budget hotels is pretty shocking!) Train to Lucknow - spent a few days nice easy going city - full of old raj era buildings.
On the last night i woke up to a furry creature going through the bin (half empty packet crisps - i thought was wrapped up) i schreaked - it squealed - then couldnt sleep!! Fun and games!
7th - 21st November Goa
Few days in the capital Panjim (Panaji) - lovely chilled small city - feels very different to other parts of India - very catholic influence so full of Churches and less hassle on the streets which is nice - as it does get you down the consant 'come look at my shop madam' rickshaw madam 'where you coming from madam 'shawls madam 'hello madam............
Beautiful old colonial buildings all around Goa - portugese influenced. Many unfortunately being left to rot and ruin as they are owned by large families who dont have the money to maintain them - such a shame. Luckily a couple have been kept in families and they stil live there opening to public to help keep maintained - full of beautiful dark wooden furniture and antiques from India, and other parts of Asia - big airy rooms and wood panelled floors - i tell you i was ready to move in!
Ended up at a talk one evening by a locally renowned architect (he has designed and built a stunning building housing a really interesting museum all about Goan houses) anyway this talk was really interesting folowed by a music recital by a Goan / Portugese singer - all this in the old mint house (colonial building) - I was mixing with the upper class Indians - felt very priveleged!
On the other side of that whilst writing this im sitting in an inernet cafe with about 10 other young blokes who are playing really loud games and shouting at each other!! Oh India!
Few days in Benaulim then Agonda, South Goa - as a beach bum! Graet chilling, swimmimg, walking, reading, eating - graet and Agonda was so quiet so you eneded up having parts of the beach to yourself and no hasle from hawkers selling jewellery (in Benaulim) every 5 minutes - the only way to get rid of them was go for a swim!!
Had a little frog in my bathroom at one point - couldnt get him out so had to get the owner to help - such a girl! I needed Olivia (my neice) to help me as she wouldn't have been scared! Oh yeah and the beaches here have cows and buffalos on them - not really a sursprise as India is full of them.
Visited a beach resort called Palolem - OMG - if you ever go to GOa dont go here - it is apparently paradise - it possbly was - until tourism ruined it - literally everywhere there is space on the beach there is a beach hut - very untastefully done and pipework and rubbish everywhere - oh India!
21st - 23rd November - Gokarna (Karnataka)
Had a coule days here on beach - beautiful beach and surrounding hills - but totally not my scene - full of hippies who all looked the same - beards, dreadlocks and sarongs (and thats just the women!! joke!) all looked like they had been there for months drinking too much bang lassi!
24th - 28th November Madikeri (Karnataka)
Lovely town set up in the hills - so a bit cooler which was nice. Beautiful gardens, templea and views accoss the hills and valleys. Kodagu area which is renowned for its coffee plantations.
Stayed in a gorgeous, spotless family guest house - they didnt speak any engllish so that was interesting - getting good (or not so) at miming! Travelled through valleys to a beautiful Tibetan settlement with an amazing budhist temple 'Golden Temple' an area full of thousands of monks - all travelling around in rickshaws - quite a funny sight! DIdnt realise till reading the guide book afterwards that i should have had a permit to go there - whoops!
28th November - 1st December - Mysore
Stayed in a beautiful homestay appartement - had my own kitchen and lounge - very exciting - somewhere to make tea and toast and hot water to wash in - such luxuries! Lovely family who owned the place and made gorgeous home cooked food - didnt want to leave. Mysore is a nice city (busy but easy place to walk around) Mysore Palace takes up most of it - it is stunning - packed walking around but well worth it - very palatial palace - could definitely move in here (without all the tourists!) They light it up every sunday night - like a disney fairytale palace but more stunning!
Im Mangalalore at the moment heading to Kerala tommorow - looking forward to getting away from cities and hopefully the hasle and noise that they bring...
Namaste for now.. love to all x
- comments
Brenda How wonderful it all sounds, so good that you have taken the opportunity to see these places
pat and barri Thank you for your p/c. We've always fancied Kerala, would you recommend it? We just wanted to say Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. We look forward to seeing you when you get home.