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Hello again everyone.
Right, a lots happenned in the last week and a bit - some of it good, some of it bad and a lot that will stick with me for a long time. I went on this trip in part to find out about myself (as cheesy as that sounds) and I have been. I will also explain how I'm in Pune over 1000km from where I was last.
Ok first after Jaipur where I left everyone but Anil we drove to the ruined Moghul city of Fatehpur Sikri near Agra. This was an amazingly peaceful place once I got through the throng of people trying to be my guide for huge prices. Afterwards we drove to Agra where I was ushered onto the rooftop of my hotel by an eager porter and by some breakdown in communications ordered some gin. Nevertheless I had a good view of the Taj Mahal for sunset. There were also loads of Indian's on their roofs controlling flocks of pigeons with shouts and clothes which was really strange to watch. Oh yeah I failed my stint at being vegetarian (well allright I failed a lot sooner :p) and had the nicest chicken jalfrezi that evening which I think I may have paid for.
Next morning I woke up at 5am to see the sunrise over the Taj which was spectacular. It's so strange seeing it in the person - it's enormous - and even when the crowds arrived they just seemed like little ants around it's base. I stayed there for three hours (and Judith laminate got her photo there too). I couldn't take my eyes of it, I kept looking behind me to check if it was still there.
Afterwards I started feeling a bit unwell but I had a train to catch. Agra train station was the nightmare I though it would be and I was already near panic when this guy came and sat with me said "what is your good name sir" (seriously everyone in India asks this question) and we talked for a while. His name was Om and he lived in Bhopal so we talked about the chemical plant explosion because I'd studied it in college and he knew a lot - apparently the Indian government we're more blameworthy and close to 30'000 people died. He then showed me my train and what carraige I was in and I was so happy to have someone help me out. The train journey was another "experience", the windows were just bars and we stopped in the middle of nowhere for loads of people to get off and go to a temple for a while. Everyone in the train was really nice even if they didn't speak English and told me which station to get off (the signs are really unclear). The Indian people are in general really nice it's just difficult sometimes to tell who wants your friendship or just your money.
At Jhansi I was mobbed by rickshaw drivers throwing prices against each other and tugging at me so that was scary. I took one guy who said 100 and who spent the whole half hour trying to sneak it up to 200. So I arrived in Orchha and checked into the guesthouse next to the one my driver was trying to take me to. Then I wondered out in the village looking for somewhere to eat. I asked a random girl and soon I'd met the entire tour party she was with and we where all having dinner together. They were all on an Intrepid tour which is what I'll be doing in Thailand and they seemed very happy with it which was re-assuring. The dinner was great although I didn't eat much and seemed to take place in the back garden of someone's house. Then the family who owned the place threw flowers all over us.
In the morning I moved guesthouse to the Shri Mahant in the market - this was really good - double bed, fan, cable t.v, ensuite and pet lizard for 3 pounds a night. By this time I think I should explain something - those of you who know me very well know that I get stressed easily by things and can have anxiety problems. Those who know me really well know that I have a thing about food where I become anxious and can't eat without wanting to vomit. After the two days of this in Delhi I became fine when I went on the tour with Kim and Tammy; unlike what some of you thought I'm not a fussy eater and eat all sorts of things you'd expect me to be wary of - it's to do with a psychological thing I seem to have. In Orchha coupled with a nasty bout of diarhoea it came back and I found I could only eat simple things like toast, crackers, fruit and such. I felt embarassed and a little scared by it so I took some drastic action. I e-mailed Kim to see if we good meet up in Pune so I wouldn't be ill in India by myself and I could get good medical help to get over my stress problems. So I took a ticket for the earliest train out of Orchha but it wasn't until the 22nd. So I made do and luckily on the 20th I met a really cool bunch of people from my guesthouse - 4 Isrealis, one French guy, one Finnish guy and a girl from Sweden. We hung out for the next two days - I visited some of the palaces and forts of Orchha and watched vultures and monkeys. I began to feel more relaxed again - Orccha is a wonderful place with lots to see and is very peaceful. In the evenings we had drinks on the terrace and played cards and watched the resident monkeys. On the last night of Orccha we went to the village festival which just seemed to involve lots of costumes and talking and was a bit crap. The next day (my illness still hadn't gone) I had to go to Pune and everyone else was leaving too.
I got to Jhansi station and couldn't find my train . Then some people said it was waiting on the far platform so I ran over jumped on frantically asking everyone whether it was the Pune train. I had a sleeper ticket but I wanted some comfort so I jumped of again to see the ticket clerk if I could pay the difference. He initially said no put then I think he took pity on me as I was in quite a state and let me onto the air con sleeper carraige. I was so relieved as the carraige was not busy and I was shown my bed and such. I was still stressed and ill and didn't sleep much or eat anything for the whole 19 hour journey but I got through it and it was allright. When I got to Pune I was exhausted so I got a rickshaw to kim's hotel but they were full and said Kim had gone to Hampi - 100's of miles away! I knew she had a volunteer placement here so she couldn't have but this was nearly too much. I took the next hotel I was shown even though it was expensive and crappy and looked for an internet cafe. Kim's not in Hampi! We met that evening and I was so relieved - I managed most of a tandoori chicken and we made plans. I clearly can't travel by myself in this country as I get too stressed. I still have around five weeks left here. Kim is working in an orphanage during weekdays so we meet at the weekends and evenings. I may stay here for a little while until I recover - I went to a recommeded doctor today, it was very cheap and he gave me the antibiotics my book recommends as well as some anxiety pills. I moved hotels into the one Kim had been staying at and it's fine - not too expensive I suppose - around five pounds a night. Pune seems a nice city. I'm gonna try to find somewhere to stay in Koregaon Park as this is near Kim and is a nice area and is also near the OSHO ASHRAM! I don't know if you've heard of this place but it's quite famous. It's basically a commune where you go to practice meditation, yoga, tai chi, and loads of other therapies in an enormous parkland. You have to wear maroon robes but apart from that you can do anything from hynotherapy to zennis (tennis with meditation I think!?) So once I've settled in this week I'm going to try to move near the ashram, go in all day, and learn to meditate and do the hippy thing. It seems very interesting and the people I've talked to in Pune about it have said it's an amazing experience - especially the group meditation in which 100's of people meditate inside an enormous white pyramid. So I think this will be a perfect place to deal with my stress problems.
So although I may not see as much as I hoped in this country I don't mind too much as it's still been a fantastic experience so far. I think I won't have as many problems throughout the rest of my trip. I'll stay with Kim in India so that'll be fine, Sri Lanka I may have some problems but I'm only there for ten days so it shouldn't be too bad. In Singapore it should be far easier to meet people as I'll be staying in a hostel. In Thailand I'm doing a 24 day tour for the month I'm there so I should settle in like I did in Rajastan. The rest of my countries; Oz, NZ, the cook islands and LA should be no problem as they're easy enough to travel in and the cook islands should be relaxing. Well I'm sorry I had to tell all this to you all but I want to be honest about what's happening to me as I travel. I've eaten today with Kim though nothing adventurous; the doctor said I should just eat bread and rice and boiled potatoes and such so hopefully I'll recover soon. I'm going to go to the ashram at some point either this week or next and try to beat this anxiety thing because it'll depress me a bit otherwise. Already though I'm feeling better and more confident. I think maybe I was too young for India by myself - everyone else I've met has been in their twenties at least and are surprised when I say I'm 18. However it's just food I get stressed about mainly, I can cope with the travel aspect. I know I've gone on a bit about this but it feels relaxing letting out my problems. Anyway once India's done it can only get easier and I know I can enjoy India.
Thanks for reading this would appreciate some advice or remedies for anxiety if you have any. Hope you're all well in the 'mouth.
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