Mumbai the way

After a long night train ride from Rajasthan to Mumbai, sharing 4 bunks with a family of 4 with 2 snivveling kids, all of whom had colds, coughed all the time (without covering their mouths, listening kids?) and basically not leaving much room for4 me, I was ready to arrive in Mumbai. The usual `bidonville` on the outskirts but on an unimaginable scale. Took a taxi to the station which I leave from which is in the banking district, got my first european meal in a long time in the Malongo Cafe, full of idni-yuppies. Veg lasagne, mango juice and oh god, a chocolate torte, YES. All this and a spotless loo where I had a quick scrub and changed my socks. I think every body ought live in the sort of conditions that I have lately just to experience the benefits afterwards (those of us in the world who can). All this and I found a cybercafe with...a keyboard that has all the letters on, a connection in at least in second gear, and to top it off air conditioning, yes at last, it`s hot, well about 22 C. Pictures at last- local sound system in Bundi, a marching brass band followed by these `sound wagons` 2 truck batteries and a mic for the singer, give you ideas Ronan? a couple of my larcenous monkeys at the RN haveli, Bundi

Monkey stole my breakfast

There I was eating my breakfast, a lovely papaya, good for the digestion, purched yesterday especially and poof it ws not there any more. all I saw was a monkey flying straight up the garden wall with it in her hand. Kamala my sweet host had warned me but nothing quite prepares you for the stealth, she must have slowly approached and hidden for the right moment, and the speed, amazing. I reflect on the human race and how, and from where we evolved....this explaines a lot.
Off to Goa, the south, no all-night drug induced raves for me (now). going to try again to upload photos now there seems to be favourable conditions.

No editor`s toolbar

There is definatety no editor`s toolbar, any ideas

At last, a connection, no power cut (for the moment)

I felt well sad leaving Jaipur and my good friends recently made. Also, had time on the train to start feeling home sick (strange expression that, you`d think it meant the opposite, there must be a technical term for that..... Rosie ?) Arriving at Udaipur you are confronted with the ubiquitous filth, squallour, and abject poverty that you see everywhere. Combined with the COLD nights and bedrooms without heating, I decided to get the hell out of Dodge, go straigt to Goa. Not so easy,mate, bookings for sleepers need to be made at least 2 weeks before. So instead I explore and finally very pleased I stayed. Buildings painted sky-blue, narrow twisting alleys, full of art shops selling miniature paintings on sink of the Mughal era, truly amazing when you look under a magnifying glass, and lovely happy smiling people. Changed hotels for a cheaper one, on the 3rd floor overlooking the Maharaja`s palace and the lake palace where`Octopussy` was filmed., much better. I have to wonder about guides like lonley planet. Next on the plan, a cookery course. Along with A Danish boy, 2 Norweian girls and 3 ladies from Geogia, we made a real student masala. We learned to make Masala Tchai, a Paneer ( sort of unfermented cheese) Biriani vegetable Rice, Veg cutlets with Korma sauce and Kashmiri tea. All was going great till my lunch declared that it had not been made in a european kitchen and proceeded a sleepless night and much sweating and shivvering. Leave you in suspense now, see if you can guess the outcome? (I must be slowing down or train lagged but there is no toolbar here to upload photos, always something, aaaagh.)

Jaipur, the Explorer`s Nest

The mullahs are wailing away as I write, it`s 7.45 pm and it reminds me of stories my dear W tells about her childhood, everybody singing a different tune depending on personal taste. There are 4 mosques within half a Km and they all crank up the volume at 2 or 3 minuites intervals calling there respective faithful. It would not be so bad if there was a common tuning or coordination of some sort. Arrived by train in Jaipur Sat. am and was met by the charming ex- Lt-Colonel Arvind Grover who took me off to the `Explorer`s Nest`, the B and B he runs with his wife Somana, Professer of botany at Jaipur Uni. Lovely little room on the roof, which one big terrace looking over the old town. There I met Ron, a fellow traveller from Lincolnshire and a bit older than me> You doing a bit of traveling around I asked by way of opening, `yes, I`m here to buy 3 camels and treck across the Rajasthan desert for 6 months` My explorer`s hat was firmly knocked sideways. since then we have reminisced for hours at table, the `60`s, mods and rockers, england etc, great fun.
I spent today at an organic Amla farm. `What is that` you all chorus. Amla is a 6 sectioned fruit the size of a big golf ball also known as the Indian Gooseberry. Gram for gram it has a vit C content 150 times that of an apple, 30 times that of an orange. It has been eaten here for thousands of years and has truly remarkable health qualities. I am truly impressed and left with a bag of fruit, dried with salt and sugar, Bio tea, Amla powder. You will be hearing more of this stuff. Off to Udaipur tomorrow to boldly go..........
Off to get dressed for bed, it was 2 degrees last night, no heating and almost no windows!

Delhi Delites

Well I`ll try again. This morning I wrote a cracker of a blog and after 50 minutes there was a short but decisive current cut and oops, no blog. Luckily the camera was not plugged in but still....

I woke up at noon well groggy and time to check out the shower, bliss hot water and lots of it.

Time now to chech out the world outside, I`d already seen enough to prepare me a bit but now for the real thing. I have to admit that I was actually shaking, me the well seasoned traveller and all. Outside is actually straight from a science fiction book, except that it is not, it`s real and here and now. I went for an explore on foot and saw the most sqallid horror, the most beautiful and the most friendly people. The poor unfortunates sleep, covered by aqn old tatty shawl, just any where in the street, 4x4`s passing inches away. Nobody would notice or care if they died. At the station there was a corpse on a stretcher with a woman squatting next to it waiting for a train?

Don`t get me wrong there is truly wonderful stuff here but you soon get your sense of priorities sorted out.

Basically, to keep things short, I have been to the.........main station-all documents copied out in stacks of ledgers, straight from the Raj...... many stupifyingly dense and sensational markets

.....the `Organic Expo where were 3 organic exhibiters` but have been invited back 11+12 March at the expense of the Indian Gouvernment!!!......eaten superbe, mostly South Indian food, mmmmm.....and generally immersed myself totally. /before I sign off, just to say that it is not what you`ve got that makes you great, it`s how you see the world... These people are humble, poor but smiling, generous and really interested in you ( apart from 1 or 2 touts) bye for now