James is not called Big Bear!!

Delhi! What a good place. Very hectic and very.. just very. Lost of pushy sellers, lots of rickshaws, lots of tourists (which was strange as I hadn’t see a white face in a week.) got there on the train fine, managed to squeeze on to the train with the help of a nice guy who then wanted me to come to the hotel he worked in for lunch. He gave me a card and everything; I politely declined due to the fact that the cheapest meal was 400roupes. He couldn’t understand my reluctance think he though I’m loaded. Anyway found cheap hotel in delhi (120-roupes) was the 2nd to worst room I’ve stayed in yet. 3 floors up box room with a double bed (plus point) smelt of mould and the shared toilet and shower was not good (so bad in fact I didn’t wash next morning ) didn’t spend much time in there though and only stayed in Delhi for one night. First day I walked south round the city (connecaught palace, New Delhi areas) was nice. Then thought I’d go to old delhi to see some sites. Got the underground train system, was very good apart from three things. Firstly there were armed police everywhere, didn’t make me feel safe at all complete opposite in fact. Secondly when you get the tube you loose your sense of direction. Its very hard to tell where you are in relation to anywhere else. And thirdly I went to the wrong stop. Luckily I was only one stop off. Walked around for a bit until I stopped for a cigarette near a guy who looked like he knew what he was doing and asked him where old delhi was. Turned out he was a research student and he knew lots of stuff. Went to old delhi saw the red fort, was expensive and only ok. You couldn’t go up on the ramparts (walls) and it wasn’t kept in pristine condition. Strange I’ve been to lots (5) castles and stately homes over the years and I’ve never seen anything on this scale. It was huge, much bigger than anything I’ve seen in England. I could imagine the soldiers running up the ramps 100’s of years ago to defend against invaders but everything was a little bit decrepit and it could have done with a bit more care and attention. Eg fountains didn’t work and the flower beds had no flowers in them…

In the evening went to meet a girl I’d met on couch surfers website for Rnb night in the morrisons café. I was suppose to wear a white t-shirt so I got one and got down there.
Quick note on delhi rick shaw drivers (same as anywhere but worse :-) - there are pre-paid rickshaw centers that charge you the real price for a journey. As I was walking to one of these I walked past rickshaw drivers asking them the price to see what they said (I was going 8 km). 150 roupes first one, then down to 130, then 120. I told them I was going to the pre paid booth and they dropped the price further still. By the time I got to the prepaid booth it was down to 90. I asked them if this is what the pre paid booth would charge and they all said yes. I turned to the prepaid guy and asked him how much and he said 60 roupes!!!!!!!!!!!!! All these rickshaw drivers mysteriously disappeared and a new one came out of now where to wisk me to the café, when we arrived the rickshaw driver asked for another 10 roupes because ‘wrong address (it wasn’t))

So I go the morrisons bar with my brand new white t-shirt on and realize very quickly that no one else was wearing a white t – shirt, and then I also realized that there was no Rnb music playing and to top it all off I also realize I have no idea what this girl actually looks like. I sit at the bar talking to a few Indians and an afgan pilot . After two hours are up I decided I’ve been had and no one I coming. Before I go I have her phone number and decided to use my phone to just ring her and see what happens (its cost a lot if she answers) it rang and rang about 8 rings and then I hung up, NOTHING happened so I walk out. As I get to the door my phone rings. I turn round and there is the georgeous Indian girl looking at me. We look at each other, point and then laugh. Introductions are made with her friends and everything is good. Turns out they are all ‘wearing’ white or have a white jumper with them. Was really good night. They played, the doors, jimihendrix, red hot chillies, good rock and roll music (no Rnb!)and I danced for a long time. Only problem was the beers where 3 times more expensive than normal (200roupes) so I spent a lot of money. Got a rick shaw home before I got too drunk and spent all my money and/or made a compete idiot of myself. Was really good night and just what I needed after being stuck ill in an office for so long.

Next day decided I was moving on and bought a ticket to puskaar. Decided to go somewhere a bit rural and not another city plus you can get a night bus which means you can sleep on the bus. Booked that then saw a sightseeing tour that lasted all day and ended just before my coach left so I booked that. Did that to see as much as possible in one day. Was good fun met a really nice Venezuelan who worked for chevron (oil company:-( interesting guy with good information. The whole tour was in hindi though which meant we had to find out about the sites from other sources. Saw lots, best site for me was the indra gandi memorial(she was a president that was assassinated. Made me a bit emotional although the place itself was nothing special. Went and got my bags back and a guy took me to the coach.

Coach trip was really good fun. Meet a dutch lady who was traveling to pushaar too and she was sat behind me. The coach we were on was a bit shit and stopped every hour at least to load/unload people and produce. At every stop (apart from when I was asleep) I got of and had a chai. Karen (dutch girl) decided we where on a chai tour and started joining me for chai everywhere. Was good fun, in one of the stalls I had my chai and joking offered to make a chai for a customer as the chai man was sat down. He let me, so I stood on the side of the road making chai, I did it all even took the money and gave him his change. Took me back to working with my uncle paul on the seafront at blackpool.. Anyway we had a great time on the bus – laughing our heads off most of the way. Something that was funny though there was a group of 3 georgeos girls who got on the bus. I obviously wanted to check that they were ‘ok’ so I said hello. They were a bit funny (not haha) and was a bit strange. They looked the part (dreadlocks, drums, tattoos, funny clothes :-) but just odd ‘energy’ coming from them. Can’t explain what it was (maybe tired – maybe me?). Any way arrived puskaa found a really nice hotel (second one I looked at ) 6 rooms nice balcony. Overlooking the lake –

Puskaar is a holy city in India where people come to bath in the lake, lost of history, temples, stories. Its not allowed to eat meat or eggs and you cannot drink alcohol…

I was still in delhi mode (I’d started to be a bit rude to some of the sellers in delhi because I CBA, they were very annoying and I was feeling a little wound up after faridabad so took out some of my frustrations on them… sorry to say this but I enjoyed it as well, everyone has those days though I’m sure) puskaar is completely different though and everyone is a lot more chilled out. The hotel I’m staying at is cool there are a few people there including a Slovakian girl who does tours of India so she knows everything and is really intelligent and knowledgeable (may have a slight cruch). She took us to a temple on a hill to watch sunset and give us a history lesson. Was fun apart from I took my shoes of to walk up the hill, I had a rest and forgot to pick up my shoes, had to walk around the top of the hill (very stoney) without any shoes on although I picked them up on the way down. I’ve got a new book (shateram) suppose to be really good book about India. A girl from burnley (lives in dubai now) was here I recognized her accent as northern so we had a good chat about ‘the north’. Had some dinner then fell asleep on the roof of hotel (was very tired), got ‘put to bed’ at about 12 and slept for a long time. Next day was also fun, walked round the lake with Karen and mowgli (great name) who ran the hotel and he told us some good stuff (all the fish had died about a month ago and the whole town stank like Fleetwood ) for a long time. Went for a walk got a music lesson from a guy selling Indian ‘violin’s (best way to describe it) and it turns out I can’t play it. The sales man bless him really likes me (or really wants to sell me a violin) and is stalking me a bit…… I gave him some money for the violin lesson and for showing me a few things (he didn’t ask and refused the money the first time.) Meet some Belgium people they were nice and decided to walk up another hill for sunset, turned out we set of to late and stopped walking very quickly. Went for a beer instead (had to drink it out of a mug) went back to hotel played some cards – leant a new game ____(can’t remember but good). Tried to play cheat (good game for groups) but descended into farce when there became a rule problem and one of the guys was adamant that we needed to change the rules half way through (he was technically right I suppose but we’d already been playing that game for 10 minutes and he was also losing – he had half the pack!!) drank some brandy and had nice chats

This morning walked round the lake again with tom an Israeli guy and ate some muesli, was quite nice, full of fruit. Was going to go to a school today but needed to check emails for FACE stuff and decided to write blog, while I have a chai or two, will respond to messages another time

extras
loads of stuff – this must be my longest entry yet and I’ve missed so much out!!

Redesign of website is going no where fast, India website guy has emailed me a template website that has no relevance so I wrote him an email back asking him to look at our competitors websites and write what features we need and what designs work well. Waiting for James to let me know what he thinks. Also waiting for the finished adverts to be emailed me by Manoj.



Puskaar is cool people should visit. although i must remember this is a holy place...

everybody wants to bless me and then charge me for it!! at the moment they can get lost, i don't think i want to be blessed but we'll see

i've edited the name as it was shit and read a funny comment that by james)