Jaipur, India, 26th June 2008

Lakshman Jula (Bridge) over the Ganges, Rishikesh

Simon, Manoj yogi and I after our week of yoga
Arriving at Sunder Palace yesterday where we were welcomed by a trumpeter wearing a horse costume, a drummer and children handing out garlands. It was very noisy and quite funny.
A real live snake-charmer with some real live snakes.

Naturally plans unfolded slightly differently to what was originally planned and in the end Simon took up his place at the meditation centre near Delhi on the 18th. He had booked this ages ago when the truck timetable was a week earlier and we ummed and aahed about options for our last week together before deciding on what to do. I took a train from Haridwar (near Rishikesh) to Amritsar which is near the Pakistani border on the 17th to meet the truck as they entered India from Pakistan.

Apparently Pakistan was really awful in more ways than one and no one enjoyed it. Although they all agreed that the Karakoram Highway is worth seeing and very beautiful. I'm not sorry at all about missing it! We did some more rafting in Rishikesh and the yoga has progressed nicely. I was able to do the 'scorpion' for the first time a few days ago, even if only for a few seconds before losing my nerve and coming down but I was very pleased to get into a new asana.


I had no previous desire to visit India and as such it's come as a pleasant discovery. I've really enjoyed it. The guesthouse in Amritsar was lovely with a delightful garden and extremely welcoming swimming pool. We visited the holiest of holies, the Golden Temple which is a pretty little...er... golden temple in the middle of a little man-made lake surrounded by a larger temple complex.


We then had a very, very long (about 15 hours) driving day to Delhi and pitched camp in a garage forecourt as a last resort when it got late. After cooking and eating at about 10:30pm, the cops came and told us we had to move on. Everyone was pretty unhappy about that but we had to pack up our tents and everything and then drive for another hour or so, pulling over again at about midnight for 4 hours before commencing the final leg to Delhi at 4am. Most people tried to sleep inside the truck and 4 of us slept up on the roof. Apart from the fecking mozzies, it was okay and I am now desperate for a standalone mozzie net. Delhi was a million times better the second time round and I really enjoyed it. Can't say I really immersed myself in the culture of it, spending an afternoon by a beautiful hotel pool (not the hotel we were staying at) when everyone else was sightseeing, but there are only so many forts and temples I can enjoy before reaching saturation point.


We then had a 6 hour drive yesterday and arrived here in Jaipur at about 2:30pm. The hotel is really nice, relatively speaking, and last night we went out to a fantastic restaurant which we found by chance and then to a Bollywood film which was interesting. Very cheesy - both the film and the cinema - but fun. Today I did my monthly sight-seeing duties (pic below to prove it) and it was pretty good. Jaipur is an interesting city with lots of fancy history and lots of sadly neglected but once grand buildings which are a testament to the mighty Raj that once reigned.


There's a yoga lady near the hotel so I've just gotten back from a class with her. It was okay but I got the impression that she was more of a housewife than a yoga guru.Tomorrow we head on to Agra (about 6 hours). We're in India for just shy of another week (Varanasi after Agra) before heading into Nepal where I'm hoping to do some more white water rafting and some trekking.


Right, it's my favourite time of blogging, the painstaking photo upload. And it's late and I'm hungry so no promises that this is going to happen tonight but I'll give it a good go. Toodlepip!

Rishikesh, India, 12th June 2008

We arrived in Delhi on Saturday 7th June after an overnight trip and the main priority very shortly after arriving was to get away as quickly as possibly. We needed to be somewhere fairly nearby (within a day's travel) to meet up with the truck when it comes but far enough away to be removed from the noisy, crowded, destitute melee that is Delhi.

Firstly we needed to get somewhere to sleep which was achieved after some negotiation with a zealous tour operator who was trying to sell us high-priced tours all over the country, warning us not to stay in Delhi because of some unrest blah blah blah. Sadly it's necessary to take information from these people with a pinch of salt as they often have an alterior motive and are usually after your money despite earnest proclamations about caring only for your happiness. Anyway, due to tiredness and desperation, we were ripped off a little bit but conceded to this as it meant a clean hotel room and a much-needed bed for the next 18 hours or so.

After a sleep and a couple of hours poring over the Lonely Planet, we decided to go to a laid back, hippy place called Rishikesh billed as 'The yoga capital of the world' with some credibility apparently. A 6-hour bus ride from Delhi and do-able. So we went to the only 'government endorsed, reputable' travel agent in the city to get bus tickets and he launched determinedly into a sales pitch for tours to various parts of the country. We had to be pretty firm and insist that we just wanted return bus tickets to Rishikesh. But apparently due to the unrest, all public transport out of Delhi was being cancelled and our only options were to either fly or take a car with a driver. Naturally he could easily provide us with flight tickets or a car/driver and an hotel booking at the destination of our choice. And of course the travel agent was closing in half an hour and not open the next day so we had to either make a quick decision or be stuck in Delhi for longer than was worth contemplating. We made the car/driver/hotel booking and arranged for the taxi to meet us at our hotel at 7am the next morning.

We enjoyed the rest of the evening wandering from India Gate (looks like the Arc de Triomphe) through a large central park along a pedestrian area, fending off mini-helicopter vendors (the children were the most persistent and rude) and dancing monkey owners. Okay, well this bit we didn't enjoy but the walk itself was pleasant and gave us some time to chat and catch our breath.

So on Sunday 7th June we, and every local holidaymaker in India, hit the road for Rishikesh. It took about 8 hours, including the 2-hour traffic jam 15kms before Rishikesh but we made it alive and the relative splendour of our hotel upon arrival gave some comfort that most of the money (if not all) that we'd handed over in Delhi was going towards our comfort and hygiene for the next 7 nights. I wasted no time in checking out the immediate vicinity for a yoga instructor or two and arranged a couple of classes for the next day. We had a very good meal in the hotel restaurant and went to bed, weary after the day of travelling in the sweltering heat but happy to be here.

Monday started off with yoga at 8:30am which was more breathing exercises than physical postures but, given our rookie status, we reserved our judgement and gave it some credit. We explored the area a bit and were impressed by the sheer force and volume of the mighty Ganges. Rishikesh nestles in the foothills of the Himalayas so it's very hilly and scenic. There are two suspension (pedestrian) bridges over the Ganges 2km apart and it's around these that the two parts of the town have settled and grown. Rishikesh is renowned for being a spiritual centre and is famous for the location of the ashram where the Beatles stayed while writing their White Album. There are lots of ashrams, which are not at all what I'd imagined, temples, and centres for yoga, meditation and massage.

There have so far been two outstanding things about our Indian experience - The Food, which we've both agreed is the best in the world - and white water rafting 26km down the Ganges, which has been a highlight of the whole trip for me. I LOVED it! We went yesterday and I can't wait to do it again. It almost puts yoga in the shade. Almost.

Our afternoon yoga was much better with less 'lifestyle advice' and more physical movement. We've since ditched the morning instructor and have moved into Ashtanga Vinyasa with our afternoon instructor. I have an enormous amount to learn about the theory and philosophy side of yoga but I'm not particularly interested in it at the moment and as time is limited I want to focus on keeping up the strength and flexibility side of it for now. It's been a welcome change to have some instruction rather than self practice and we've done something new every day.

The plans at the moment are coming towards the time when Simon and I have to go our separate ways which we are facing with intrepidation, each for our own reasons. Simon is daunted about going to teach for the first time in a metropolitan high school next month (in Perth) and all that goes with getting set up in a new city. I am worried about how things will change without him always at my side and the loneliness of losing my constant companion of the last 3 months. He is heading back to Delhi on the 17th to take up a place at a meditation centre (we originally though I'd be back with the truck by the 15th) before flying out of India on the 30th. I will be meeting the truck on the 23rd in Delhi so I'll probably stay here in Rishikesh until then.

News from the truck is that they have been denied a permit to enter China and are currently travelling along the Karakoram Highway in Pakistan, entering India on the 19th.

It's getting late now and we're trying a new morning yoga session tomorrow which starts at 6:30am so we'd better head off to bed now. I hope everyone is well and happy and thank you for your emails which are always lovely to receive.

Abu Dhabi, UAE, Thursday 5th June 2008

Okay, a quick update and then some photos. We're in Abu Dhabi, capital of the United Arab Emirates, staying with some lovely friends of Simon's, Matt and Trace. We've been here a week and, to be honest, have done fairly little. It's been a welcome change of pace and, although we've missed out on Pakistan as a result, I'm really glad to have been able to see the UAE having heard so much about it.

While here Simon's applied for his India visa which we will be picking up today and booking flights for Delhi for (hopefully) tomorrow. The idea is to get to India ahead of the truck so that we've got time to go to an ashram for lots of yoga and a bit of meditation before meeting up with the truck on the 16th June in Delhi. Then the truck will be going on to Nepal and either China (still TBC) or back into Pakistan (for reasons I haven't yet worked out) to somehow (probably flying) down to Thailand and then to Laos, Cambodia Vietnam and so on. Simon however will be staying in Delhi, leaving on the 30th June for Adelaide. At the moment it looks like we'll be saying our goodbyes on the 16th but of course, as this is exploratory, things are always subject to change until the last minute as we are learning first hand.

I've added a couple of links to other people's (namely Simons and Vince & Jan's) blogs on the right for your browsing pleasure.

So withhout further ado, here is the latest picture update from the last few days in Turkey to the fabulous pool party on arrival in Abu Dhabi. Eat yer heart out!

Turkish night

Our first day in Iran. Hmmm. Attractive.

Collecting wood along the way in Iran

Half day hike up to Babek Fort (15thMay)

Setting the self-timer and quickly jumping across the river in 10 seconds flat for a 'together' pic!

On the bus in Iran. We had to wear our head-scarves at all times (even for loo visits in the middle of the night - even in bush camps!)

And the yoga must go on.Bush camp near the Caspian sea.

Masuleh, 17th/18th May. Very pretty place...

...with yummy hot cinammon rolls!

Wandering around Masuleh.









Lost of smelly cheese in Masuleh. Naturally we preferred the cinammon goodies!

And the Hookah.

Esfehan, Iran and one of the many picturesque bridges.

Yoga on the bridge.













Not ANOTHER mosque *sigh*

Imam Square, Esfehan.









Imam square by day. Lovely tea shop with great cakes.

The flying carpet shop, Imam square, Esfehan, Iran.









Simon being interviewed by Iranian television on tourist views of Iran.

Persepolis ruins near Shiraz, 24th May.




Sad to leave Iran but relieved to be out of all that garb! Pool party on an island, Abu Dhabi, Friday 29th May.