End of 'this' Adventure....

After 326 days of travel,

17 countries,
(England, Zimbabwe, Botswana, South Africa, Swaziland, Tanzania, Kenya, Rwanda, Uganda, India, Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, Singapore, Australia, Vanuatu and China)

76,700 Kilometres traveled (and that's traveling 'as the crow flies' not the winding roads),

89 different beds,

and 29 books read,

I have made it back to Canada.

I have met lawyers, doctors, teachers, restaurant managers, founders of laughing clubs, journalists doing secret stories, traveling seniors and photographers. Kevin talked to me about farming in Manitoba and Pontus was my Swedish expert. I met a group of young people from Rwanda that made me feel young and happy; and an amazing Canadian women who left Canada to start a preschool in Ruhengeri, Rwanda.

I've said many times in this blog that its the people you meet along the journey that makes this whole experience memorable. This year I have traveled with Anne from Canada, Kevin and Dominic, also from Canada, Jonathan from Germany, Lukas from Austria, Kate from Australia, Aidan from England, Pontus from Sweden, Ian from Germany, Sonya from Russia, Michiel and Celein from Holland and in northern Vietnam Hannah and Joe from England.

I feel a little bit like I'm accepting an award but there are many people that have opened their homes to me and included me in their lives, families, fed me and gave me free accommodation. Venters in Johannesburg; Walters and Nedfts in Capetown; Rowes in Nelsprit; My Zimbabwe Family; Cathy and family in Rwanda; Rajam and family in India; Tuckers in Singapore; Clisdells and Chidgeys in Australia and finally Lukas and Xin Xin in Beijing.

Highlights and Strange Happenings
• I was a trillionaire in Zimbabwe and still couldn't really buy much
• I got questioned by a Zimbabwe Customs official. I had claimed 'solar panels and welding rods' on my receipts. He wanted to know why a tourist was buying 'solar panels and welding rods', good question really
• A taxi driver in Tanzania wanted me to back him in setting up a toilet paper business
• I looked after a hotel for a short time in Zanzibar while the guy went to prayers at the mosque
• Camped in the middle of the Serengeti National Park surrounded my lions and elephants, sleeping alone in only a tent and NO FENCE
• I went on a 'Free Rose' demonstration in Rwanda and according to the radio they were glad to have "Canada's support"
• Rafted and swam 32 km of the Nile
• Took one trip from Uganda to Rwanda that included a dugout canoe, a taxi, a car with seven people, and two separate motorcycles... all in the same day
• I ordered a 'cheese burger' of a menu in Varanasi, India, expecting a normal cheese burger... silly me... I got two pieces of bread with a piece of deep fried cheese
• On one day in India, I watched kids playing cricket, went to a Bollywood movie shoot, and had chai tea with three Indian Police officers
• Saw some very drunk pigs in Dalat, Vietnam
• Took a taxi in Beijing that broke down, then took another taxi where the driver kept explaining a story to me about a screwdriver, which he kept waving at me, all of this in Chinese
• Hiked nine kilometres of the Great Wall of China

I've posted a few pictures from China on FB:
Here are the links:
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=263490&id=763065018&l=06f3f0c3e7
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=263494&id=763065018&l=183d576214

It has been an incredible eleven month trip around this wonder world that we live in, can't wait to do it all again.

Australia and Vanautu Pictures

Here is a link to a some pictures from the past few weeks:
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=256327&id=763065018&l=f3a27994e2

Australia and Vanuatu

I can't believe that it has been over three weeks since I've posted here. I feel like I've seen so much of Australia. From Alice Springs I flew back to Sydney via Melbourne. I booked all my own tickets online, not realizing that I had to change airports in Melbourne. I arrived and started looking for the domestic terminal and my gate, only to soon find out that it was across the city. I had to take a bus into Melbourne and then another shuttle to the other airport. Fortunately I had about five hours, it would have been tight if my layover was only two or three hours. I stayed with an amazing couple south of Sydney at a Baptist camp for almost a week. It was a beautiful rural setting and they were so kind to me. From Sydney I headed north to Coff's Harbour. My university friend from Newfoundland lives there. I hadn't seen her for over ten years, so it was great to catch up with her again. I think she enjoyed having someone to talk to about Newfoundland. From Coff's Harbour I took a bus north to Brisbane, I spent just a few days there. It was in Brisbane that I had a very interesting 'interaction' in a hostel that resulted in my changing rooms for the first time in eleven months. The story isn't really for public consumption, you can ask for details... ;-)
From the beginning of my trip I wanted to spend time in Fiji. I went to a travel agent and we talked about the South Pacific Islands and all the options. Fiji was a bit too expensive for me, so the agent suggested Vanuatu, a small island between Australia and Fiji. I'm spending just four nights on a TINY island off the main island. There is a ferry that runs back and forth all day. Its a spectacular place. Yesterday I went on a snorkeling safari. There was a guide pointing out all the different fish and coral. The colours of fish and coral were just brilliant. I met a great Australian couple here and we hung out for most of the day. In the afternoon we went to the main island and went to one of the local villages. The people are so very welcoming. We tried a local drink that smells a bit like dirt, also looks very muddy. Its a non-alcoholic drink made from the the kava root. It does cause a strange sensation though, it makes your mouth and tongue a little numb. Almost like a visit to the dentist. You drink it in one gulp, its not a beverage to sip that's for sure. It tastes awful.
Last night the place I'm staying at had a feast with loads of food and local music and dancing. It really was an amazing day. I could live here on this tiny little island.

I found this information about Kava from a website..
Kava Root (the only part of the plant that is used) is largely employed as a celebratory drink much in the same way that alcohol is used in the West. It helps mark momentous occasions such as weddings, public festivals, political powwows and holidays, and it is even used in ceremonies honoring the dead. Unlike alcohol, kava does not produce or stimulate aggression. It does not condemn the user to a dreaded hangover, unlike alcohol. Alcohol literally kills hundreds of thousands of people a year, and Kava, when properly harvested, has never actually hurt anyone. Kava has even been known to help reduce alcohol consumption!

Many people find other uses for kava, including many medicinal ones. It’s interesting to note that kava has been shown to help ease anxiety, depression as well as producing a restful sleep. It is used by athletes, businessmen and diplomats to help “take the edge off” and focus concentration. Widely prescribed throughout Oceania and Europe to treat hyperactivity in children, it has also been used to aid children who have difficulty sleeping on occasion.

Uluru (Ayer's Rock) Tour

I went to visit Uluru (Ayer's Rock) and King's Canyon this past week. Both of which are absolute marvels. I was with a group called the Rock Tour, there were 17 of us with a guide. I thought in the beginning that it was way too big, but the combination of Germans, Dutch, British, Swede and me the lone Canadian worked out very well. The drive from Alice Springs to King's Canyon - the first stop on our tour - was about 5 hours. On the way we saw a herd of wild camels, they're not native to Australia but were brought here by early settlers and have since thrived in the area. King's canyon was beautiful, we walked for about three hours around different parts of the canyon, had some opportunities to look down into the canyon from the edge. It was pretty freaky. The first night we made camp at a 'bush' camping ground, no toilets - just a bush. We cooked our meal over the fire and it was delicious. We slept in a swag. A swag is an Australian creation, its a canvass bag that zips up with just your face out. It has a small mattress and you put your sleeping bag inside. It was a great way to sleep, with your last sight for the day being the amazing southern night sky.
The next day we drove to Uluru. Uluru is the word that local Aboriginal groups have given Ayer's Rock. We arrived at the Rock at sunset, we set up our rolled up swags in a semi-circle and ate supper while watching the splendor of light setting on Uluru. The changes in colours has the sun set were spectacular. The next morning was an early one, we left our camp site around 5:45am, this time to watch the sunrise on Uluru.... also an amazing sight.
I feel like I experienced the outback in a real authentic way with the sleeping outside, cooking over an open fire and seeing the sun set and rise on this very sacred sight.

Pictures from the Outback

Here is the public Facebook link to some Outback pictures:

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=245454&id=763065018&l=d764ef8133

Deep in the Outback

I came to Australia with no plans. I like having the flexibility to decide when Iarrive in a new country. I really intended to go to New Zealand, then I checked out the temperatures for this time of the year. It's COLD there. So, I decided to stay in Australia for my six weeks in the south Pacific. I spent six days in Melbourne, its right in the southern part of Australia, so it was pretty cold there for a few days. I met a guy from Sweden, he suggested going to the outback, Alice Springs and Ayers Rock. I kept thinking... sounds like a plan. So after three long bus rides, each about 12 hours we arrived in Alice Springs. We spent one night in a small town called Cobber Pedy, its a little mining town about 800 from Adelaide and that far again from Alice Springs. Talk about being in the middle of nowhere. I stayed in a hostel that was carved out of stone under ground. Many of the houses in this town are under ground, mostly to get away from the scorching summer temperatures, apparently it gets into the 50's. It was a very unique place. Not much to do but unique nevertheless. We arrived in Alice Springs yesterday. The town is pretty much closed today because of Good Friday. We leave on a three day tour of King's Canyon and Ayers Rock on Sunday. We sleep outside under the stars in 5-10 degrees. BRRR. Should be a lot of fun. Funny thing is I thought Ayer's Rocks was in or very close to Alice Springs, its about a 4-5 hours drive due west. Who knew.

I haven't uploaded many pictures lately, I've been having some trouble with one of my camera chips, I lost all of my pictures from Singapore and Melbourne. I moved onto a new chip. I'll upload some next week of Ayers Rock.

I just finished booking travel tickets home. I arrive in Vancouver on May 27. Hard to believe its time to think about that.

Singapore and Beyond

I just arrived in Melbourne, Australia. I spent the past week in Singapore. I don't know what to say about Singapore. It was very expensive, especially after spending the past few months in India and SE Asia. Singapore itself is a beautiful city, it looks very 'planned' and 'manicured'. I stayed with a friend in the downtown core for the first part of the week. I think Singapore has more malls than any place I have ever been. It certainly would be the dream of a 'shopper'. For me, not so much. I spent the second part of the week with an old university friend from Newfoundland. It was great to meet up again.

I have no idea what is going to happen in the next six weeks. I had first planned to go to New Zealand, but it is very chilly there now and I'm not sure if I want to end my year of traveling in the cold. So I may head north in Australia and find a good beach.

Lost in Hanoi

I've spent the last few days in Hanoi. It's a great city to wander in, lots of great things to see. I've been to see Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum. Ho Chi Minh is seen as the great liberator of Vietnam and is held in very high regard. The funny thing is, he had requested a simple cremation before he died. His request certainly wasn't heeded. He is laid to rest in a giant glass 'cage' in a monster of a building. Hardly simple. It was interesting to go though, I was surprised to see that I was one of the few foreigners. Most of the visitors were Vietnamese, who visit to pay their respects.

My Friends Joe and Hannah left a few days ago for Laos, it was great traveling with them if for the simple reason I had someone navigating my way. I have been lost so many times in the past few days. This morning I headed out to an area around the lake, and wanted to wander through all the narrow market streets. Once again, I got severely off track and ended up in a completely different area of the city. I know this must sound humourous, but when you suffer from the 'direction disability' it can be very frustrating, especially when you're wandering in hot humid weather.

Tomorrow I'm off to Singapore to meet up with some friends and just a week later to Melbourne, Australia.

Halong Bay, Northern Vietnam

I'm doing a very bad/LAZY thing, I went on an amazing tour of Halong Bay in northern Vietnam. I went with a great couple Joe and Hannah from England. She wrote about it on her blog and did such a great job, I thought I would copy parts of it. Thanks Joe and Hannah.

I've put some pictures on Facebook again, you can see then with this public link:

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=234147&id=763065018&l=2930a089f8

At 8am we took a very small (and quite precarious looking) boat to our new home / boat for the next 2 days. Our crew Bin, Tim and Fi, made us feel instantly at home by bringing us a cup of traditional Vietnamese Tea. We sat up on the roof deck, lounging in our reclining chairs feeling like lord and lady muck! Shame the tea had been boiled in the same utensils they use for tea, as it had a very fishy taste! The three of us (Max has come with us, and the 3 of us have a huge boat all to ourselves) dutifully drank the tea, making the correct, polite um and ahh noises until Bin had gone down below, and we threw it over board, hoping the crew would think it was a fish jumping!

We motored out of Cat Ba Town Bay and just went around lots of different islands, each new turn providing a beautiful scene, fit for a kodak moment. Although the weather isn't great (its the low season, a bit cold and misty) it added to the magical sense. After a few hours of lounging about, admiring the scenery, we docked at one of the floating houses. The only other boats we have seen have been local fishermen and their floating houses / fish farms where they keep lots of dogs to amuse them. The fishermen keep fish in nets to fatten them up, an also grow muscles and other shell fish, but it can take 3 years for them to grow so they have a lot of spare time on their hands! We picked up some kayaks and donned our swimmers, before taking off on an hour long kayak tour around the bay we were in to a lovely beach which was covered in purple shells. There were all different types of shells, yet they all ranged from light to dark purple, it was quite bizarre, but very beautiful. There are so many little beaches where no one goes all around this area.

After the feast called lunch (fresh fish, veggies, spring rolls, rice and seafood - which Max ate, he's so happy he's on a tour with us, as he gets to eat all the stuff we don't like!) we once again motored out, the boat is called a junk, but it doesn't have those lovely red sails we were hoping for but its still a wonderful experience. After taking loads of photos, we once again kayaked in the afternoon, this time going though a cave complex (which got a bit dark and scary at one point!) which has been hollowed out of the cliffs by years of erosion, to bring us out into a lagoon.

The afternoon involved more motoring between the small islands. We just relaxed and enjoyed the views, soaking up the scenery. We visited a fish farm in the afternoon where our lads got a fish for tea -so fresh it tried to escape!

In the evening we ate yet another feast before retiring to bed down below at about 8pm! There isn't really too much to say, as most of the day has been spent up top, just relaxing! Perfect!

Day Two on Halong Bay

Arose at about 8 am, (Max rose just after 6:00) and we were promptly fed a lovely fried egg butty by the boys on our boat. Soon after we were underway with Captain Fi and his very cool quiff hairdo pushing us on further and deeper into the huge limestone monoliths. This morning he took us to some floating fishing villages and we all hopped in the kayaks for a closer inspection.

The trip over the shallows was fantastic and we managed to see some pretty interesting coral through the vivid jade coloured waters of the Gulf of Tonkin. The crabs all take on a lovely purple colour as do most of the other shell fish and we loved getting close to the edges of the karst towers to see them scatter away when we paddled near. Once back in the boat we were taken to Thien Cung grotto which is a huge cave complex comprising of three large chambers containing large numerous stalactites and stalagmites. After 40 mins of walking around the caves it was time for lunch and once again it was a feast fit for kings - except the tea we had yesterday was twice as strong and fishy this time!

At about 1 ish we dropped anchor at another limestone tower that had some more interesting coral and a lovely beach and spent a good 50 min paddling slowly up and down the edges taking in the surroundings. Sadly our Halong Bay time was coming to an end and the junk we have been on for the last 2 days set course for Cat Ba island. It took us no time to get back as we reflected on the great couple of days we've just had and we were back at the hotel for 4:30pm. For anyone considering coming here - do it! - t'was superb - maybe check out this website and see what you think - http://www.catbaventures.com/ - get thee to Phong Lan hotel and Mr Tung will sort it!

Vietnam

I have been in Vietnam for just over a week. I first went to Ho Chi Minh, it is most commonly called Saigon. I have never seen so many motorcycles in all of my life. The Lonely Planet guide book warns you about getting across the street. You literally have to weave in and out of hundreds of motorcycles. It's crazy. I had no idea where I was going from Saigon, I looked at the my trusty Lonely Planet and found a small 'beach' town called Mui Ne. It was about four hours north, I got there and it was indeed by the ocean, but there was no beach. Apparently the beach washes away for certain months of the year, well March is one of those months. I had a good two days there just the same, I rented a bike and wandered around from one end of the town to the other. It was a very hot day, so I bought a pool pass at a really nice hotel and hung out poolside. From Mue Ne, I took the bus to Da Lat. This town is in the mountains, about 1500m above sea level. You can notice the difference in temperature right away, especially at night. Today I hired a local guide named Vu. He was great, he took me on his motorcycle to all the different areas around town and out into the country side. We were having an amazing day until about 3:00 when it started to rain, 'pouring out of the Heavens' kind of rain. By the time I got back to my hotel, I was soaked to the skin. I've posted some pictures again on Facebook, I figure since I can post the public link on here, it will be easier.

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=229412&id=763065018&l=3ce0e

Links for Pictures from Facebook

For those non-Facebook users, here are the public links to photos that I have posted in the past few months on my Facebook page. You do not have to be a member to view the pictures. Just cut and paste the address. The most recent pictures are listed first.


Cambodia
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=226374&id=763065018&l=a5a55

Thailand
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=225615&id=763065018&l=d2e2a

India

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=221701&id=763065018&l=561cc
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=218680&id=763065018&l=98171
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=217922&id=763065018&l=f47f8
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=215667&id=763065018&l=88cbf
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=210997&id=763065018&l=721e0
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=205822&id=763065018&l=640e4

Africa and India

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=205231&id=763065018&l=3e75e
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=189016&id=763065018&l=8fafd
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=184785&id=763065018&l=35b7e

Thailand and Cambodia

The difficulty when waiting a long time between posts is figuring out where the the time has gone since the last post. I flew from Calcutta to Bangkok a few weeks ago. It was strange to be in a city with lanes on the roads and shopping malls. Although I didn't see the insides of any shopping malls. I stayed in Bangkok on Khao San road, it is the backpacker place to go. It wasn't my scene, the street was packed with people, big party atmosphere. I just spent two days here, enough time to do some laundry and sort out my visa for Vietnam. It would have made way more sense to go north and then gradually make my way south through the other countries, but the southern beaches were calling my name. I headed to a small island in the south called Kho Phangnan, it was about 80km off the Thai mainland. I found a little place there called Bottle Beach. It was very isolated, no roads going there, so I had to take a long boat (fishing boat). It had no stores and only a few places to stay. I stayed at Smiles Bungalow. It was a wonderful four days. My bungalow had a great view of the beach and the people that were staying there and working there were amazing. Many interesting people. I was sad when I had to leave and head back to Bangkok. From Bangkok I went east to Seim Reep, Cambodia. Seim Reep is famous for Angkor Wat, its like the biggest church in the world. It's a collection of temples that are spread out over about 40km, some of which are absolutely immense and dating back over a 1000 years. I do tend to suffer from a bit of temple fatigue though after a full day of wandering through them. Today, I'm heading out for my second day of temple gazing. My visit in Cambodia will be short, hoping to head to Vietnam tomorrow. I will try to post pictures soon, I've put some on Facebook, if you are interested.

INdia ... The Conclusion

It's hard to believe that it has been six weeks since I arrived in India. India was amazing, some parts were very easy, others very challenging. Overall it was a very good experience. My last week in India was spent in Varanasi and then Calcutta. Four days in Varanasi is not enough. I spent my time there wandering the ghats. It seemed like they were different every time you walked them. There is just so much activity. They form the core of everything that happens in Varanasi. One day in the week a ghat is devoted to laundry. It was cool to see all the shirts, pants and sarees spread out on lines and on the ground.

From Varanasi, I took a train to Calcutta. I only spent two days here. I lived on Sudder Street, this is the 'tourist' area. Calcutta really surprised me, once again my western notions were shattered in a good way. I think most people think of Calcutta as one big slum. Well, it is far from that. It has theatres, malls, a theme park and huge water park. I'm sure it has the same social issues that any big city has but it is far from a slum. I had a great time here. I met these two ladies in their 50's from Ireland and a guy from Burma. We had a lot of fun together. Only when you travel can you find combinations like that.

India in brief....
- The rule of the road.... there are no rules.... get where you need to go however possible.
- Banana leaves are often used for plates and place mats, new ones every meal.
- First question ALWAYS to me, how many Children do you have? Then, are you married?
When I say no, Why? How old are you and usually how much money do you make. You don't really have to know someone well to be asked these questions, I've been asked by rickshaw drivers many times.
- Men and women will not sit next to each other in public places, on buses or trains. They will always re-arrange seating to accommodate this.
- Getting on a public bus is 'CRAZY', the people literally just storm the door, with elbows flying.
- If you are in an Indian home, you are constantly being asked, 'Are you ok?' 'Do you need anything to drink/eat?' You are treated very well.

Sarees on laundry day

From the back of my rickshaw, its difficult to capture on camera just how crowded the streets were.

Here I am on the ghats in Varanasi.

Laundry day

This temple is seriously leaning.

Varnasi, the Sacred City

From Kodaikanal, I went to the east coast of India to a city called Pondicherry. I've been in India since January 7, and this was the one place that I couldn't get out of quick enough. I was there for two nights, my accommodation was expensive and very dirty. The people working the front desk were unfriendly and not very helpful. This place has been the exception in my travels in India. I went searching in my Lonely Planet for another place to visit, I had about two days to spare. I found a little town about two hours north of Pondicherry called Mamalanapurum. It was a great little town by the sea. I stayed right on the beach, not a 'sun bathing' kind of beach. It was a true fishermen working kind of place. I loved sitting on my deck and watching them mend their nets and going out in their long boats. I got up one morning around 6:00 to watch the sun rise and see all the fishermen doing their morning routines.

This was taken from my deck. The temple in the background was amazing. The location was very different, a temple right by the sea, it was called Shore Temple.

I think the cows like the beach as much as the people. There were always herds of cattle roaming the beach.


This is a Hindu temple, they are like nothing I've ever seen. The colours are amazing.

I took a taxi very early yesterday for my 7:30am flight to Delhi, then on to Varanasi. I've now been in a lot of cities in India, so far I think Varanasi is the most crowded. Getting from the airport to my guest was a feat in itself. The airport is more than a 30 minute ride from the city, an expensive taxi ride, but the guy I was sitting with on the plane was in Varanasi on business and offered me a ride into the city. Then I paid for the taxi from his hotel to the area in the city where I was staying. My place the Shanti Guest House couldn't be reached by car, its down this very narrow lane. From the taxi I had to hire a 'human powered' rickshaw. It's a tricycle with a seat propped up on the back for passengers. The street was full of them. Although I have to say I was quite guilt ridden riding on this thing, the driver had to work so hard. There were times he had to jump of the bike and push it. It kind of worked in his favour though, I paid him twice what he was asking for. The last portion of the journey to Shanti I had to walk. As soon as I got off the rickshaw a man said I will take you to Shanti. I usually refuse these offers, but seeing the maze of lanes in front of me, I accepted his offer. This was a good thing, I would have been lost for days. Another 10Rupee tip and I finally made it to my guest house.

It is on the river Ganges. This river is a very sacred place for many religions but Hindus in particular. The western side of the river is lined with 'ghats'. A ghat is a set of steps that leads down to the river. The ghat that I live near is the main burning ghat. Hindus cremate their loved ones near the Ganges and send their ashes down the river. Most all the cremations happen just about 100 metres from my place. There are buildings in between us so I can't really see it happening. This morning I went down to the river. You would not believe the activity. I first went to the burning ghat. There are about 4-5 fires going at any one time and they are going all day long. Providing the wood has become a huge industry here. I didn't stay for long, it kind of felt that I was imposing on a family funeral. Although there were littering hundreds of people all around. Just a short distance from the burning ghat, people were bathing in the river and also washing their cows. It really is a all purpose kind of place.


Funny note... I ordered a cheese burger off the menu at the restaurant at Shanti, expecting of course a 'cheese burger'. Silly me to expect that. It had two pieces of bread with a patty made of cheese... no beef in sight. Which isn't too surprising I guess given that the cows are revered here.

From the Beach to the Sky

It has been a busy week. I spent most of last week in the Kerela region in the southern part of India on a beach called Varkala. Its a beautiful beach surrounded by cliffs. All the places to stay are on the cliff side. It was a very chilled out place. I found great accommodation for 300 Rupees, about $6.I ate my meals here most days, it was called the Sunshine Restaurant. The servers were amazing, happy and very welcoming.

I left Varkala last Thursday and headed to Tirunelvelli. It was two train rides and about a 6 hour journey. I visited with a family in Tirunelvelli. It was an amazing experience to spend a few days living with an Indian family. They were so kind to me. Always concerned about if I had enough to eat and drink. The father and mother of the family are Salvation Army pastors. On Monday I got an opportunity to attend a wedding that he was officiating. It was another of those experiences that you can't believe that you are in the middle of. First the Groom arrived at the church being led by a band that consisted of three drums, cymbals and a saxaphone. The bride was next to arrive. After the meal we were fed some great food. The 'heat' in the food made me sweat but it was great. It was all very festive. I felt very priviledged to be a part of their day.


The 'happy' couple.

During the wedding, all the people sat on the floor. The colours of the ladies' saris were amazing. Its difficult to capture it in a photo.



Trains in India is the main mode of transportation. I always choose sleeper class, which is just one step up from the bottom. Its cheap, but very basic. The long rides can be back breaking and it seems that all the rides are very long. A 150km journey can take up to six hours.

I left Tirunelvelli yesterday (Tuesday) for Kodaikanal. Sometimes getting around is a challenge. This was a train ride and a four hour bus ride. The region is Tamil Nadu and the main language is Tamil, the problem is that they have a different alphabet. Signs are most often in Tamil, so reading street signs and travel information is almost impossible. I arrived at the bus station to catch my bus to Kodaikanal. Again all the information was in Tamil. I talked to a lot of people, with everyone giving me different information. There were two Indian guys that were travelling to the same place, so I stuck to them like glue. Eventually I ended up on the right bus. Kodaikanal is 2100 metres above sea level. The climb up the mountain was interesting. The view from the top is amazing.


This is my view out the front door at Kodaikanal.

Hampi Pictures

The rivers in India are always a busy place with laundry, bathing and just general socializing.
We broke down for petro, had to get more to make it back to our guest house.

Look at the eyes on this kid, they were bright green.


I couldn't resist, had to break out a yoga move.
The Elephant Stables


The Queen's bath

Hampi, Karnataka, India

It has been a great week in India. I left Goa on Monday and headed inland to Hampi. This town is known for its amazing temples. Many dating back 400-500 years. I hung out this week with two new friends, Kate from Australia and Lukas from Austria. We were on the same bus from Goa to Hampi and then stayed at the same place, the Sai Plaza. It was affordable, good food and views of the temples from the eating area. I was together with Kate and Lukas for most of the week. We spent two days touring the temples, one of the days we hired a rickshaw to take us from one temple to another. On the last day of temple gazing, we came upon this one that had a great sitting area, I could just picture people sitting there and chatting over the past 500 years. We sat there for ages chatting, it was very quiet with only a few people around. The landscape in Hampi is very unique, someone in Goa told me it was like landing on the moon. It reminds me of the Matobos Hills in Southern Zimbabwe, scattered boulders everywhere. On Thursday (maybe Wednesday) I think it was we rented little mopeds. It reminded me of riding a lawn mower. It had very little power and maximum speed topped out at about 50kph. We were told at the beginning of the day that we had gas for about 75km. We were riding for many hours, and the odometer did not work, so it was hard to tell how far we had gone..... you know where this is leading.... on the way back, Lukas and Kate's moped died. He took mine and went to get gas, which wasn't much of a problem and we were soon on our way back to the guest house. It was a great day of wandering through 'small town' India. Although riding on the road was a bit of an obstacle course, we had to maneuver around, people, goats, cows, pigs, rickshaws, motorcycles, cars, the list just goes on and on, but it was a great day of fun. Yesterday I left Hampi, leaving Kate and Lukas behind and headed for Mangalore en route to Varkala in the south.

Aranbol Beach, Goa, India

I have been in Aranbol, Goa for the past three days. It is on the western side of India on the Arabian Sea. I'm feeling kind of stuck here, I don't want to leave. I come up with a new excuse every day on why to stay another day. My excuse for not moving tomorrow - it's Friday and many people will be heading to other beaches and therefore I might not find any place to stay... that sounds reasonable doesn't it. Aranbol is great, it is a very 'festive' beach. Lots of music and entertainment all day and well into the evening. The water is amazing, I've been swimming at least three times every day. I have to fit the swimming into my rather hectic schedule of reading, walking the beach, massage, eating, yoga and napping. I have a rough life. I think I will head to the southern part of Goa on Monday and then on to southern India after that. I expect my 5- 6 weeks in India will be spent in the south.

I'm staying in a great little beach hut, and it is just a hut. Nothing but a bed, mosquito net and a fan. The temperatures have been really nice at night, not too hot.

I've been bumping into people that I've met along the way. Yesterday I was walking the street and bumped into a guy that was in my hostel in Mumbai. The strangest occurrence was when I arrived in Mumbai and bumped into a traveller that I stayed with in the rural parts of Uganda in Africa, what are the chances of meeting someone on another continent in among 16.4 million people.

When I was on my way here today to the Internet cafe, there were two guys doing tricks on the beach with a cow. Seriously, they had the cow decorated, and one of the guys was lying on the beach and the cow was standing on him with one leg, meanwhile the other guy was playing music. Only in Goa.


This is not the 'trick' cow, it was just lying in the sun on the beach. There are many of them all over the beach.

Mumbai, India

I have arrived safely in Mumbai. I got here at 3:00am, what an awful time to arrive in a new city. I waited in the airport until 6:30am before getting a taxi into the city. The drive in was interesting, even at 6:30 in the morning it was pretty busy with people and cars. The other noticeable thing is the abundance of smog, its making my allergies go crazy. I'm staying at a Salvation Army hostel in the Calaba area, it's right across the road from the Taj Mahal Palace Hotel. It's a great location, just a five minute walk to the water. Yesterday I took a boat out to Elephanta Island, it was a nine km ride. Elephanta Island is famous for its temples that are carved into the side of huge rock faces.



Here are a few photos courtesy of Google Images. I did take loads of pictures, just haven't uploaded them yet.

Today I had to make my way by foot to the train station. Again my sense of direction (or lack thereof) kept me wandering for a while. What was supposed to be a 20 minute walk turned into a hour and a bit. The process of buying a train ticket is in itself a little mesmerizing. First you find the reservations area in a very chaotic station with 1000's of people, then you have to find the name of the train you want (there are many) , then you have to go to a particular window (also many). Fortunately for me there was a 'foreign traveller' window. Yeah for that. Tomorrow I have to take a 7:10am train to Pune, about a four hour trip south of Mumbai. Apparently there is a 'gas strike', so I may end up walking it again tomorrow. I think my next trip I'm going to buy a GPS to keep me on track.

Leaving Africa

It has been six months since I left Vancouver and my African leg of the journey is almost done. I have just four days left before heading to Mumbai, India. It has been an amazing six months. Here are some of the places I've visited:

Bulawayo, Zimbabwe
Tshelanyemba, Zimbawe
Francistown, Botswana,
Johannesburg, South Africa
Cape Town, SA
Mossel Bay, Knysna, Jeffrey's Bay, Port Elizabeth, Coffee Bay, Durban, Nelspruit, - South Africa
Mbanbane, Swazliland
Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
Stonetown, Zanzibar
Paje, Zanzibar
Moshi, Lake Manyara, Serengeti, Ngorogoro Crater, Arusha, Mwanza, -Tanzania
Kigali, Ruhengeri, Butari, Gisenye all in Rwanda
Kampala, Jinga, Kabale, Lake Bunyonyi - Uganda

As always Africa has a lot to teach you about yourself. Volunteering in both Zimbabwe and Rwanda has been amazing, I always need to settle down for a few weeks and unpack. Traveling to a new city every few days can be tiring. I know I will be returning to some of the places that I've spent time in since July.

Now comes India. I know this country will have challenges for me. I still haven't set out a firm itinerary, that will come. I fly into Mumbai on January 7. I hope to keep you all updated on here.