Day 88 - Singapore

Well, here I am in Singapore. Clean streets, clean buses and friendly people. I arrived in the airport at 6am and caught a bus to the hostel, where I am still hanging around now. The beds are dorm style - but with hot water, free internet and free coffee it feels like luxury.

I have several chores to do today; boring things like find the Vietnam embassy, do washing (in a proper laundrette, hopefully, just need to find one) and buy a digital camera. I had planned to do a bit more exploring, but the short flight last night meant I got about 2 hours sleep - so I feel a bit knackered. On tuesday I'm doing a student life tour, and then on thurday a food tour (food - my favourite thing).

Goodness - my brain is mush - I'm going to stop whittering now and go back to bed.

Day 87 - Chennai

Last day in India (not that I'm counting down or anything). Chennai is a bit of a grubby, grasping city, but despite that I've enjoyed myself here. This is mainly because of the SA Hostel - the management are great and beds are dorm style, so it's a good opportunity to meet new & interesting people. Yesterday evening I got chatting to the other people in my dorm - a French couple and a Japanese girl. The French couple had been travelling for 6 months. Now, I thought I was being adventurous, but my travels are nothing compared to theirs. They had hitchhiked from France to Slovakia, and if that wasn't enough they then bought bicycles and cycled all the way through Hungry, Romania, Bulgaria and into Turkey. They stopped in Turkey (because it was freezing cold) and got a flight to India. I listened to their story in amazement, with more than a little jealousy - maybe if I can find a willing cycle buddy, a cycle across Europe could be my next trip. The Japanese girl was nice too - we compared henna designs and ashram info, and then she told me the trip she'd done (also v. adventurous). She caught a ferry from Japan to China, then travelled across China, through Tibet and Nepal and into India - all by herself! Next she plans to travel around India, then through Pakistan and Kashmir (if these places aren't scary enough - she plans to do it in midwinter - bonkers) then back across China and home. So many good ideas for future trips...

Anyway, I got up early this morning because I had to check out of my hostel at 9am (horrors). I had a shouting match with a rickshaw driver, who dropped me off at the museum area, where I waded around the flooded streets in the pissing rain, looking for something to do. It seemed everywhere was closed, partly because it was raining, but partly because they just don't bother opening things before 10 here. I finally shlopped into a 5* hotel - the only thing in a 1-mile radius I could find that was open - and had a mini splurge on an all-you-can-eat buffet breakfast. I ate faar to much, and strung it out for as long as possible, then went to the shopping centre to wait for somewhere to open. I waited half an hour before giving up, and I had a pleasant chat with an old guy who advised me to go to Mount Rd for shopping, and argued with the rickshaw driver for me so I wasn't ripped off. Mount Rd (or Anna Salai Rd - why does everything need 2 names?) is the main shopping street with lots of government emporiums selling statues, furniture and other kitschy export stuff. I almost danced with joy in the street when I found a Phillips shop; my earphones for my MP3 have not been working properly for about a month - and could I find somewhere that sells them in any of the places I visited so far? Not on your nelly. I almost kissed the grizzled shop manager when he handed me a shiny new pair.

So, now I am in a cheap-as-chips Internet cafe in some random back alley (got bored of the naff emporiums), killing time until Giggles bookshop opens... "the manager, he will come at 11.30, and then he will sweep and clean - you come at 12". Raaah - IT'S A SATURDAY!

Day 86 - Chennai

Back in Chennai - the last stop in India. I got here about 11 after a relatively easy bus ride (it rained, but I managed to haul the metal window shutter down so I didn't get too wet). Then I had the problem of getting from Chennai bus station to Edgmore, where I planned to stay, without being ripped off. The rickshaw drivers were asking ridiculous prices, so I steeled myself for a long barganing session involving shouting/waving arms/walking off angrily - but then a bus went by me with the glorious word EDGMORE written on the front. I waved, ran and jumped on (with some difficulty - it wasn't going to stop for me), then grinned as we sailed by the group of disappointed rickshaw drivers - haha.

From Edgmore station it was a short (smelly) walk to Ritherton Rd, and the Salvation Army Hostel. The hostel has seen better days, but the bloke on reception was helpful and friendly, and the beds are the cheapest in town. Reception bloke chatted away about check out times and curfew etc, then:

Reception guy(smiling): How long have you lived in India madam?
Me (confused): I've just been travelling, nearly 3 months, why?
Reception guy: Because when I am talking you are wobbling your head, like we do
Me (wobbling head): hahaha, I didn't notice (bugger - I've been here too long)

The dorm room was dark and dingy, so I chained my bag to the bed (another one-inch-wonder mattress - greeaat) and left to get some brunch. On the way to the area near the station with all the restaurants, I nipped in to one of the great corner shops/pharmacies they have here in India - I spotted the hugest bottle of boost ever, and was so tempted - but there was no way I could squeeze it into my bag, so I settled for a normal size. I also got some chocolate (cadbury's, and chilled too - yum) and some antihistamine tablets (why did I not think of this before - they are so cheap, I love the way you can just buy medicines in poky shops in India for next to nothing, when in the UK you need to get a prescription, and pay through the nose - so funny).

I ate in Ceylon Non-Veg restaurant - I thought non-veg would have veg stuff as well as meat - but no, non veg means just that, no veg. Luckily Indians class eggs as veg so, although I was highly tempted by 'Brain Masala', I went for egg biryani - and very nice it was too.

I'm now in a tiny A/C internet cafe (A/C = glacial) and after some quality internetting I will walk the few km to the Government museum and national art gallery. Then, after the touristy stuff is out the way, I'll grab a pastry& boost from coffee day, then head along the best bookshop in Chennai to replace the latest tome I've finished reading.

Oh, and it's still raining, a lot.

Day 85 - Mamallapuram

Last day, I'm ashamed to say that I have been woefully bad at the sightseeing here, instead I've spent most of my time sleeping, eating and reading. I need the break - after 3 months of travelling round this huge country my body just has had enough! Today I'm going to maybe go have a look at the Shore Temple and the Five Rathas. Other than that more of the same relaxing methinks.


The tedious chore for the day is buying a new travelling bag - my current "say no to plastic" job was given to me by the Intrepid Travel guys, and after 3 months on the road is looking a little, well, disgusting. However, the shop assistants in Mamallapuram are so sickeningly obsequious that I really can't work up the will to go shopping (not to mention the fact I've got 1000R left and I'm trying to make it last for the next few days). Still, I like to think of this as the last time I'll have to haggle (yaaay).

Day 83 - Mamallapuram

Well, I'm now somewhere halfway between Pondy and Chennai. It's called Mamallapuram has a beach, lots of restaurants serving fresh fish, internet cafes and a great bookshop. Plus 3 nights accomodation costs the same as one night in the heritage hotel in Pondy. Can't be bad.

I've been here a few hours now, pottering aong and getting a feel for the place. I must admit that I feel like I'm just killing time now before flying on to my next location - Singapore - on Saturday. There are some nice shops here, but they are just selling the same stuff as the ones in Hampi, Varkala and one hundred other touristy places sell and the constant hard sell is becoming tiring. I also think I've reached saturation point for ruins and temples. This is a shame because Mamallapuram is meant to have some beautiful stone carvings and ruins that are meant to be well worth a look. Maybe I'll get an early night - lots of sleep will make me feel a bit more raring-to-go I'm sure (and there's always boost...)

Day 82 - Pondicherry

Day 82 - wow, can't believe I've been away from the UK so long! Craziness.

After writing the entry yesterday I popped back to the hotel and hired a battered one-gear-wonder in order to explore a bit more. Pondy is quite small, and laid out a bit like Milton Keynes - i.e. in blocks. Cycling is the best way to get around, but a bit of an extreme sport as nobody really bothers driving in the right place, and instead all go on their merry way, expecting everyone to get out of it. Must admit I don't have so much bravado, so in general have been getting around slowly, though more safely.

Apart from exploring, internetting, drinking excessive amounts of boost* and eating lots of pizza (mmmm, pizza), I've been sitting in cafes, working my way through the contents of the hotel's bookshelf. Unfortunately, as a large proportion of the tourists (not travellers, but people here on holiday) are French, the majority of the books are also French, so I've had to supplement my reading matter with early entires from my travel journal, which actually is very amusing. In retrospect I realise I spent most of my first month in India being ripped off by everyone, and wondering around permenantly red and sweaty - funny.

I think I will leave Pondy tomorrow morning and get the bus to Mamallapuram, a travellers hangout with a beach and cheap accommodation. This time I'm going to ring in advance to make sure I get a room!

* For the uninformed: UK has Ovaltine, Australia has Milo and India has boost. It's basically a malted drink that's got added vitamines and minerals. I started drinking it for the v&m's but am now addicted to it's malted goodness. I think I've probably become known as "the boost girl" in the restaurants and bakeries I frequent, as all the waiters find it utterly hilarious when I order a hot milk and mix up my boost of the day, and all feel the urge to point and say "boost" loudly. I entirely blame Becca for this addiction as she was the one to introduce me to it in the first place :-)

Day 81 - Pondicherry

Made it! It only took a 1 hr bus, a 10 hr train, a 6 hour train and then a 4 hr bus - no problem. The final bus ride was possibly the most painful part, being that I was the only a)westerner and b)woman, I just cranked up the volume on my MP3 player and stared out the window, pretending that the entire bus wasn't staring at me.
We arrived about 8.20 in darkness. I hadn't booked anywhere to stay, so I pulled out the faithful Lonely Paranoid and set up shop in a phone booth. I called all the guest houses in the book, one by one and starting with the cheapest, only to be told, again and again, that they were full. Uh oh. Finally I came across one with a room, the Ram guest house. I was so relieved that I just collapsed in a rickshaw, not bothering to haggle over the fare, and told the driver to step on it ("step on what?" - sigh). The hotel is a heritage hotel; small and charming with old wooden furniture and a balcony. My room is on the compact side, and a mite expensive, but is clean and has a TV and hot water - bliss.

Had somewhat of a shock when I looked in the mirror - after 26hrs of travelling, and broken sleep, I looked like a zombie (see right for an artists impression... and I wondered why everyone was running away, screaming :-). Hot shower and early night needed desperately.

This morning I got up at 7 and went on an epic tour of the hostels of Pondicherry, by foot. They are all full - raaah. Looks like I'll have to stay with the hot water and TV, what a shame! Pondicherry really is a very nice town; wide, tree-lined boulevards and a long promonade along the Bay of Bengal. There are pockets of french culture and architecture here and there, and the town has plenty of coffee shops (that serve real espresso) and nice French/Italian cuisine restaurants. The best way to get around, epecially to the nearby beaches, is by cycle or motorbike - so my mission this evening is to find a cycle hire shop (not going to risk a scooter - eek). I was hoping to go to Auroville and visit the Matrimandir meditation room with its huge 70cm crystal, but unfortunately it is only open to visitors on Sunday, and tickets have to be booked in advance - poo. Guess I'll just have to cycle to a beach instead.

Below: The Matrimandir dome and meditation room (space age..)



Below: A Pondicherry street and the promenade