Goodman's Travels

We travelled to India in May 2009. It is a part of the world we had always been interested in. The mystique, the culture, the oppulence and the poverty, the aromas and the sights of every day life. Its all there in abundance.

We flew Qantas into MUMBAI and arrived at about 6.30pm. The taxi ride into the centre of the city where we had booked into a double bed room at Chateau Windsor in the heart of Mumbai down near the water at Charpati Beach. It took an eternity. The traffic was horrendous. Similar to the cars. We took one look from outside and thought 'bloody hell' what have we done. We were roomed on the fifth floor. The lift was made at the turn of the last century. As it turned out, it was room 109 and was great. The air-con worked well and the room was very comfortable.

Our second full day in Mumbai was eventful in that we thought we had done a good deal with the local lad in his new car. We paid 800 rupees. (about AU$27) He told us it was a new car that he needed to pay off and was so grateful to us for hiring him for the day. We were 'his god'.  We did the normal tourist things being guided by our man in the new car. After about 5 hours of sightseeing and being the tourist and going into places where he would get a kick back if we bought anything, our man decided he had had enough for the day and said he would arrange for someone else to come and finish off the tour the next day. We paid him and sent him on his way. It became apparent we had been had. He didn't really want to take us anywhere else. He had got what he could out of us and basically dumped us. Wendy tagged him Rafa the Rogue.

It was a lesson well learned by us. The rest of our stay in Mumbai was interesting.

Our visit to Mani Bhavan, Ghandi's Museum which was the house he lived in was fascinating.

Noting the colour of the Arabian Sea and the harbour, somethin akin to a weak cup of tea, we did a day trip to Elephanta Island which was also fascinating. It was an island off Mumbai where there are magnificent caves carved out of the hill rock. It was on Elephanta Island we discovered the culinary delights of Byriani. We didn't know what we wanted for lunch so decided to try some of the local fare from a hillside stall. Wendy ordered vegetable Byriani, not knowing what to expect. It was delicious and we have become real fans.

The boat we went on was also an experience. It took about an hour to get there and coming home was against a strong winds and current. At times, I thought we were going backwards. The ocean spray was horrendous and we ended up drenched. There were few places to hide on the boat.

I had a haircut and facial massage. 'Stefan' the barber was a real show pony.

We also seen the renowned open laundry. These laundries are massive. They wash for all the hotels and for private people. They are all manned. There are no women. This was Mahalaxmi Dhobi Ghat Laundry.

Mumbai was hot. About 35c and 95% humidity. Here Wendy is packing to leave for the railway station.

From Mumbai we took an overnight train to Jaipur. 5th May 2009. The train was a real treat. It was similar to the sleeper trains we knew in Australia 25-30 years ago. It departed at 6.55pm and arrived in Jaipur at 12.55pm - an 18 hour trip. We were placed into a 6 berth compartment, 4 in one shielded by a curtain and two down the side. We had good travelling companions. At about 4.30am 2 travellers alighted but 4 got on. So we had 8 people in a 6 berth area. Two of whom had been married the day before and they were with her sister and father. Presumably as chaperones.  The newlyweds had been allocated poor sleepers along the side of the carriage. When we realised their situation we encouraged them to join us in our compartment. They were a lovely young couple. We talked as best we could for quite some time. Her English was quite good yet his was poor. Before alighting at Jaipur,                            Shiraz and Sachin invited us to their wedding festivities. They had been married the day previous but the celebrations weren't to take place until they reached their families in Jaipur.Unforttunately we were unable to make it to the reception.

In Jaipur, we stayed at the Umaid Mahal, we booked it through Hostelworld and hoped for the best. It was excellent. A well appointed hotel with good airconditioning, good rooms and bedding, excellent staff and a very good restaurant and upstairs balcony. All for less than $30/night. We were told the next two days in Jaipur were 'dry days' as there were state elections on and alcohol wasn't served during that period. Appparently the Indian people go a little crazy during elections and alcohol dosen't help. Thankfully the Umaid Mahal didn't observe these rules (or maybe foreigners were exempt?) we were able to enjoy a quiet beverage on the balcony served by an 18 y/o waiter Kamal from Darjeeling?

   Kamal                           Hotel  Lobby              Umaid Rooftop                  Rooftop cubicles

We decided to have a glass of wine with dinner in the restaraunt that night. It was Indian made Savignon Blanc. It was a little expensive but quite nice. About 200% better that the Chinese attempts at wine making. It is probably the only restaurant I've ever seen with a swimming pool at the side.

We decided to get a guided tour around Jaipur. So we hired a car and driver. Unfortunately some of the 'tourist' sights were closed due to the elections but we were able to get a good feel of the place by just driving around. We visited the Laxmi Narayan Temple, Haiva Mahal, City Palace, Rambagh Palace, Jaipur Museum, City Gate, Water Palace and Jaigarh Fort. Amber Fort was closed.

Camels waiting           Jal Mahal (water palace)    Elephant in main street    Tour cab that broke down

Wendy n friends        A bull in the main street

That afternoon we decided we needed a massage. Just down the street near the Umaid Mahal was an Indian massage place that were able to fit us in without notice. We had an Ayurvedic massage. Basically it is a four oil massage where you wear a flimsy loin cloth and nothing else. We each had a cubicle with a massage therapist each of the same gender. It was a little off putting being 98% naked whilst they basically gave us an oil massage. It was very therapeutic but a shower was needed afterwards to get rid of all the oil.

It was that evening we met Joseph, 'rogue No.2'. He was a very well versed Tuk Tuk driver who spoke English with an American accent. He had honed his skills on the yanks over the years and started to sound like them. He took us into Jaipur for the evening to a restaurant which had outdoor dining and entertaining. It was called "Indiana Joes'. The food was good as was the entertainment. It was tailered to tourists and of course Joseph got his kick back. The photo's show the entertainment.

Joseph of course was waiting outside our accomodation the following morning. We used him to take us into the 'old Jaipur' where we abandoned him. Old Jaipur is the oldest and poorest part of the city. Walking the streets was sometimes a little stressful with the sights of poverty and the aromas of a non sewered area where animals deficate in the streets and the people go to the side street to do it. The people there eked out a bare existence. It was one of the most confronting parts of India yet it was a common sight. We took another Tuk Tuk back to the Umaid Mahal and readied ourselves for our trip to Agra.

Our bus trip to Agra was air-conditioned. It was a rickety old thing but did the job. At about half way to Agra, we pulled into a roadside shop for refreshments and to use the toilet. It was there we seen eucalyptus trees growing behind the petrol station. They told us these were introduced into India to help with the soil erosion and the old gum tree was the most hardy tree they could find. Arrived Agra at about 8.00pm and found a Tuk Tuk to take us to the Taj Guest house. We booked it through Hostelworld. It was a very seedy area however the actual accomodation was great. Rooms well aircondtioned. WiFi worked well. We ran into four young Australian girls from Melbourne in the room next door. They were travelling by themselves around India. We seen them again the next day at The Taj Mahal.

Our Tuk Tuk driver, Ramanuj, would not take our money the night before, he said he would come back and collect us in the morning at 6.00am and take us to the Taj for a daybreak veiw. This worked well for him and us.

Wendy wasn't allowed into the Taj Mahal on first entry. She had an Ipod in her backpack and was made go outside, pay 20 rupee for a locker and line up again. I think the issue was that it was an electronic means of making a noise and they don't like that. The Taj Mahal is everything they say about it. It is the most fabulous expression of a mans love for a woman you will find. Cannot say more than that.

We then had Ramanuj take us to organise train tickets to Dehli. But apparently the trains were booked out so he organised for a car to drive us. (probably his cousin) During the day he took us around all the sights of Agra, most of the time on the right side of the road. He was a happy soul and the best Tuk Tuk driver we have had.

Some of his hard luck stories actually had some credability.

Our car trip which was 200km and cost 2500 rupees, to Delhi was a 3 hour trip that took 5 1/2 hours. We stopped about half way for a loo break and for our driver to have a break. The only thing noteable was the constabulary were asleep on the road side.

We stayed at The Grand Godwin Hotel - in the heart of New Delhi - very nice, marble everywhere. Good rooms and good staff and not expensive. The neighbourhood was well below the poverty line. We wanted to sample the local eatery and bars so we had a Tuk Tuk driver take us to the local. It was around the corner and he charged 40 rupee. We knew we had been ripped off and had a chuckle with him. The 'bar' was a sleazy as any I've been into and it was 99% male.Women were allowed in, but they didn't. Wendy broke new ground that day. She lifted the tone of 'the sleaze' by 200%. It was the only time in her life she has felt uncomfortable in a bar. All eyes in the dimly lit, smoke filled cess pit were on her. We left after one drink. The next day we arranged a car to take us to our timeshare at Gurgoan, which is outside Dehli. Outside Delhi? It was a 1 1/2 hour drive. It was isolated. It wasn't actually in Gurgoan itself, it half an hour drive further west in a rural setting. It was quite a nice resort and would be fine for the locals but for the tourist, it lacked activities. Long walks along desolate unpaved roads (similar to those between Bourke and Cobar) was our excercise. However it was relaxing. They had a swimming pool which was empty. The grounds were well manicured and the wildlife was friendly. We actually had a game of golf one day. The golf course was 5 holes and something like you would find in Tibooburra but none the less an enjoyable outing. A day tour into Gurgoan was worthwhile although the shops were expensive and had more staff than customers. They had security detectors at all doors and some times you had to check your bag in before entering. Nightime meals didn't start until 8.00pm at the resort. The food was good. Normally a smorgasbord or everything Indian. Curries, breads and vegetables. All very authentic. The resort put on a puppet show for us. It must have been for us because we were the only westerners there (and not many Indians except on weekends) The show was ordinary but they tried. Arrogant father with wife and children, also had a young girl who danced for us. Then of course we had to pay. At the end, the kids did all the cleaning up of the puppetry.

We enjoyed our time in Gurgoan but wouldn't go back there.

Thur 14th May we got a car from Gurgoan in to Delhi airport and flew to Bagdogra. We found the Indian airports to be inefficient. The staff weren't well trained. For an I.T. leading country they lacked most things, manual checks and security was poorly organised. An hour late leaving Delhi. We flew intyo Bagdogra and were greeted by armed guards (bearing very old rifles). There appears to be a large Military base there. Our accomodation in Darjeeling had organised a car (4WD like a Jeep) to meet us. The trip bfrom Bagdogra to Darjeeling was very memorable. The road at times resembles a goat track. We had to climb to 2162ft and this was done by trying to stay on a road the wound around mountains, crossed creeks, narrowed to one lane at times and was generally very hair raising. There were no guard rails and Wendy refused to look outside. Often, the edge to death was only inches away. But we made it and the scenery is stunning.

Darjeeling is a magical place on earth. We did have a little altitude sickness, but not enough to worry about.  We even called into the local pub and met up with a very amiable couple from NZ. Mark and Helen Fawcett. They had been travelling India for about 6 months and were on a strict budget. Apparently, they leased out their home in NZ and were travelling Asia for 12 months.

We walked around the town like troopers. Small backpack and off we went up hill and down dale. Some of the steepest streets you’ll see.

We called into one of the many tea plantations for a short tour. Sat down with an old lady in a tin shed just outside the plantation. She went through the machinations of how tea is grown and harvested. Very informative. We bought some home grown Darjeeling Tea home. When coming back from the tea plantation we took a wrong turn and walked down a hill we shouldn’t have. Coming back up the hill we ran into a bunch of tea pickers.

They were breathing nearly as heavily as we were, that pleased us.

The highlight of the trip for Allan was the Toy train which goes from Darjeeling to Kurseong. This takes about 2hrs 40m. We only went as far as Ghoom which took 45 minutes.

Its known as the Darjeeling Toy Train. It is UNESCO world heritage listed and in need of an urgent injection of funds. The Loco’s are old and require maintenance, the per-way is rubble rather than ballast and sleepers are nearly none existent. But it is a marvelous little railway and a credit to the Indians.

Show ALL intermediate Stations

We also had a look at the Darjeeling Zoo. Not much there but as great effort for such small community.

There were election celebrations in the town. The locals made great celebration in the town square and threw pink powder all over each other. We managed to avoid it but in hindsight we should have joined in.

The Himalayan Mountaineering Institute is a wonderful expose’ of all things mountaineering. Tingseng Norgay was born in Darjeeling. He was the most renowned Sherpa, being Sir Edmund Hillary’s main guide. He lived in Darjeeling after his Sherpa days had passed and died there.

Darjeeling town, with its neighbouring town of Kalimpong, was a center for the demand of the Gorkhaland movement in the 1980s. The present movement for a separate state of Gorkhaland is also centered in Darjeeling town. In recent years, the town's fragile ecology has been threatened by a rising demand for environmental resources, stemming from growing tourist traffic and poorly planned urbanisation.

Darjeeling is wide spread across the hills.

We had 3 nights in the Shangrila Motel on Ghandi Road. They claim to be Darjeeling’s ‘best’ hotel - don’t believe it. Whilst it was comfortable it was not the ‘best’. There is plenty of good accommodation in Darjeeling, right from the bare basics up to 4 star.

Mo Mo’s - street food. Mo Mo's are very tasty dumplings. I don’t know what is in them but they are delicious. We also tried samosa’s from a road side stall when coming back from the Zoo, they were great.

Our last night in Darjeeling was one to be remembered. We thought we would eat in the hotel’s restaurant, get a good night’s sleep and get a flying start in the morning, back to Bagdogra and fly to Kolkata. The hotel restaurant wasn’t operating that night however their sister hotel just up the street was, so we ordered and they went and got it. We had a leisurely meal, shared plate of fusion type spring rolls and had a separate main meal each. At 1.55am the next morning, Wendy had a decision to make. Whether to sit on the toilet or to vomit into it. Hell that no fury like a dodgy spring roll. No more than a few minutes after ridding herself of nearly everything she had,  Allan faced the same dilemma. All this was only hours before we had to get into a jeep and travel down the goat track to Bagdogra. What a night, spent taking it in turns to go to the toilet.  The Imodium was still in Newcastle! How we didn’t disgrace ourselves in the jeep going down the mountain we’ll never know.

Our first class seats on Jetair were of no use to us on the plane, we couldn’t eat or drink anything, may as well been on the wing. Got into Kolkata at about mid afternoon to stay one night. The Bodhi Tree Guesthouse is highly recommended. It was bliss. Quiet, peaceful, clean and serene. We ordered dinner - Peppermint tea and a cheese sandwich each. The next day we flew from Kolkata to Bangkok , both very wounded but vowing to return some day to again marvel at the wonders of India.

Bangkok.

We were booked into the Sofitel Silom (Pron See Lom) which is in the heart of Bangkok not far from the river. We were there for 5 days however our first day and a half was spent convalescing from the rigors of the dodgy spring rolls. On the afternoon of our second day we ventured out into the neighborhood and discovered to aromas and sights of inner Bangkok. Our dinner that night was in the local “Irish Pub’. We both felt like a western meal. Wendy was still suffering a little but Allan was fine and ordered the roast chicken dinner. It was served exactly as described, a whole roast chicken, roast potatoes, pea’s, corn and gravy. Cost about $3. Absolutely delicious. He was a well trained Thai Chef. The Irish Pub was actual run by Thais.

On the third day we did a day tour with a young lady called Nancy. What a pain, she showed us around like a good tourist guide but she was more intent on selling us a full day tour the see the Bridge Over the River Kwai and other attractions that she promoted. She badgered us all tour to buy. It tickled our fancy so we bartered our hearts out until we got what we thought was a good deal. We decided to accept her deal about 1 minute before the end of the tour. Our bartering was our way of getting back at her for being such a pain.

The next day we did the small bus tour into the countryside, up to Kanchanaburi , the River Kwai and the memorials. 

No tour is complete without the obligatory elephant ride.

Part of the day tour was also a short trip by river boat to the floating markets.

We then went to the Tiger Temple Sanctuary where monks have ‘tamed’ the jungle tigers. It is said that if this sanctuary didn’t exist, the tiger population of Thailand would diminish.

The next day was some sightseeing in and around Bangkok. As part of a river boat tour, we called into a Snake Charming show - very impressive.

The river was filthy. Brown water with trees and debris abundant. The river was well used by commuters and small freight. There was a yellow submarine moored in the river, not sure of its significance.

At the end of the river boat ride we got off near the “Golden Palace’ hoping to have a look but due to a religious edict, it was closed. We then got a TukTuk to take us sightseeing. The Police and tourist guides are in each other pockets. A policeman advised us on what to do, where to go and how to do it……each time we arrived at a venue, they acted as though they knew we were coming and were primed to be ripped off. We don’t mind being ripped off if given something in return; some of these people just want your money without reciprocating. On reflection, I think the Policeman was actually a tourist guide dressed up.