Nigel,
If you want me to reply to you I need your correct emeil address!
:)
Sunday 23 March 2008
Sunday 25 November 2007
Friday 9 November 2007
Saturday 10th November - FINISHED THE BOOK.
Today I did the same as yesterday except rather than starting the book, I finshed it. I fed the dog again, dehusked a newly fallen coconut (I heard it fall) cracked it open and drank the milk. If things get any worse than this then I'm going home.
Friday 9th November - TIME FOR A BOOK.
Now there's not going to be much written here for today, I sat on my veranda in my upgraded (at my own expence) beach bungalo with my feet up on a plastic patio chair and started to read a book. I fed a dog some biscuits and now she wont leave me alone. Life on an island paradise is hell.
Thursday 8th November - BACK ON THE BUS.
Excuse me for missing entries while I've been off the bus, this is because there have been better things to do, boredom hasn't set in once and generally I only write things in my notebook when there is nothing else to do, however today I'm back on the bus, another early start 6:45am, it's now 11:40.
Don't get me wrong though, things seem to of improved (maybe someone thought so many people leaving the bus was a big enough hint that things might of needed to change) we have already had two stops, the new bus that I believe is Ozbus 1k is very comfortable, the roads are smoother (I havn't cracked my head on this one yet) and there are only 12 paying customers leaving plenty of space on our 43 seater coach (after the alternative route back through India more people have decided enough is enough and either stay in Bangkok or make their own plans to get to Koh Samui) and we are still waiting on the return of the Tibet crew.
Today though we not only get regular 2 hour breaks, we are actually asked to give some input on the itinerary. Do we want to stop at the scheduled hotel stop in some place called Chumphon? or as we have made good time with our good bus on good roads, do we want to crack on and get to our tropical island paradise of Koh Samui a day early. Needless to say we crack on. Can things on Ozbus of changed for the better?
Don't get me wrong though, things seem to of improved (maybe someone thought so many people leaving the bus was a big enough hint that things might of needed to change) we have already had two stops, the new bus that I believe is Ozbus 1k is very comfortable, the roads are smoother (I havn't cracked my head on this one yet) and there are only 12 paying customers leaving plenty of space on our 43 seater coach (after the alternative route back through India more people have decided enough is enough and either stay in Bangkok or make their own plans to get to Koh Samui) and we are still waiting on the return of the Tibet crew.
Today though we not only get regular 2 hour breaks, we are actually asked to give some input on the itinerary. Do we want to stop at the scheduled hotel stop in some place called Chumphon? or as we have made good time with our good bus on good roads, do we want to crack on and get to our tropical island paradise of Koh Samui a day early. Needless to say we crack on. Can things on Ozbus of changed for the better?
Wednesday 7th November - KICKING THAI STYLE.
This day had potential to be the last day of relaxation before the Ozbus appears, a good lay in, a leisurly breakfast, a Thai massage, an excellant hot sandwich in 'The Secret Garden' and then I went and ruined it, myself and another Ozbuser come across a kick-boxing gym. Now my Ozbuser friend; we'll call him 'Shef' (1.) He is a chef, (2.) He comes from Sheffield, (so no I didn't spell it wrong) thinks he's a bit of a kick-boxer and had been wanting to train while in Thailand (when in Rome and all that) so he signs up for a training session, what he lacked in quality though he made up for in enthusiasm. After half an hour of what the Thais' called warming up he was exhausted and retching thinking he was going to be sick, and he had paid for this pleasure, but he kept going and a couple of hours later he was finished. He'd asked me to stay and take photos which I didn't mind doing and after I'd taken nearly 100 photos for him it was back to the hotel where the Ozbus and some Ozbusers were due.
Monday 5 November 2007
Tuesday 6th November - ANOTHER ONE OF THOSE DAYS.
I know it's been a while since I wrote anything, I do mean to but sometimes internet access isn't that easy. Actually that's a lie, as you might of read in previous entries I am a lazy git that sometimes can't be bothered.
Whatever I did on this day it wasn't that interesting, according to my camera I didn't even take any photos.
Sorry.
Whatever I did on this day it wasn't that interesting, according to my camera I didn't even take any photos.
Sorry.
Monday 5th November - ITS BEEN 7 WEEKS.
A few of us that were awake got their act together, had breakfast in the hotel and went into Bangkok with a plan of action of what to see and do. First a visit to the Grand Palace where religious and royal ceremonies are carried out (I had already been here a few years before but I never had my camera then, I wasn't going to miss out this time). We took two Tuk-tuks and we all arrived together and wandered around aimlessly for a while. When visiting Bangkok the Grand Palace is a must see (it beats all the mosques in Iran), and they're all in one place which means less travelling between places.
After the palace we planned to take a river taxi to Central Pier however the king had his birthday celebrations today which meant the river was closed to all traffic except his. Instead we went shopping, we took taxis to the huge MBK shopping center where we found the first McDonalds in 7 weeks that served beef. Two Big Macs, large fries and a chocolate milk later I was happy (They even had double Big Macs with 4 burgers in them, but that would of been greedy). The rest of the daylight hours we wandered around getting lost in the mall, at night some went 10-pin bowling, others went pubbing and clubbing. Me I fell asleep in my bed at 7:30, I'm such a lightweight.
After the palace we planned to take a river taxi to Central Pier however the king had his birthday celebrations today which meant the river was closed to all traffic except his. Instead we went shopping, we took taxis to the huge MBK shopping center where we found the first McDonalds in 7 weeks that served beef. Two Big Macs, large fries and a chocolate milk later I was happy (They even had double Big Macs with 4 burgers in them, but that would of been greedy). The rest of the daylight hours we wandered around getting lost in the mall, at night some went 10-pin bowling, others went pubbing and clubbing. Me I fell asleep in my bed at 7:30, I'm such a lightweight.
Sunday 4th November - BANGKOK PING-PONG.
We are picked up from our hotel early and driven to the airport, we book in, pay our taxes and go through security. We are now firmly on our way to Bangkok. After an uneventful flight we touchdown in Bangkok, through immigration, retrieve our luggage and as a group head towards the nearest cash machines and taxi ranks.
We arrive at our hotel; the New World Lodge, everything is clean and tidy, the staff are very helpful and Andrew at Ozbus had made our bookings as The Whole had asked (Thanks Andrew).
For the evenings entertainment we decide to go to a 'Ping-Pong' show, now I'm not going to spend any time explaining this except that we are in Sin City and there are ping-pong balls involved. They would not allow cameras into the show so there are no photos. The show was quite disappointing but for alot of people a box was ticked, pinged and ponged.
We arrive at our hotel; the New World Lodge, everything is clean and tidy, the staff are very helpful and Andrew at Ozbus had made our bookings as The Whole had asked (Thanks Andrew).
For the evenings entertainment we decide to go to a 'Ping-Pong' show, now I'm not going to spend any time explaining this except that we are in Sin City and there are ping-pong balls involved. They would not allow cameras into the show so there are no photos. The show was quite disappointing but for alot of people a box was ticked, pinged and ponged.
Saturday 3rd November - RELAX, DONT DO IT.
Today we had the options of a 160mtr Bungee jump, a Canyon swing or a day relaxing and getting ready to fly to Bangkok tomorrow. I gave serious thought to the 160mtr Bungee and the Canyon swing (about a microsecond of it), Then decided I could have one last relaxing day in Kathmandu and maybe sort out the laundry, get some gifts and post them back to England to save having to carry them all the way to Australia. So thats what I did. Another good day. The people who were adventurous and went to the Bungee and Swing get back to the hotel in the evening, they had a great time.
Kathmandu and Nepal have been great, the extra few days have been relaxing and enjoyable. This would be another country on my list of places to come back to.
Kathmandu and Nepal have been great, the extra few days have been relaxing and enjoyable. This would be another country on my list of places to come back to.
Friday 2 November 2007
Friday 2nd November - FECKING TREKKING.
Another day of our breakaway stay in Kathmandu, today is the day some of us go trekking. We drive for just over an hour towards the foothills of the Himalayas. The scenery changes dramatically, gone is the organised chaos of the city, here everywhere is green, terraces line the sides of the hills where farmers grow their crops, dense woodland cover others.
I will try to get some photos on here for today, unfortunatly my camera was stil being repaired so I may have to borrow someone elses.
Anyway, we park in a small village and start to amble up this footpath towards a village called Nagarkot, it's all very pleasant. We turn a corner, cross a stream, stare at a spider and its web, it's a beautiful day.
After a couple of hours ambling along with the odd stop for a drink and a fag, tiredness begins to set in, you dont realise it but it's been following us since we left the village disguised as a black dog. Every step you take becomes an effort. You stop looking at the scenery and stare directly at your feet slowly taking one step at a time. Your hands get placed firmly on your knees, on every step you push down. Tiredness has now caught you.
We keep pressing on slowly but surely untill salvation appears in the shape of a rickety old mountain bus. It's absolutly packed. We wave it down, a small boy leans from the doorway, "Nagarkot.......Nagarkot"? We nod our heads and crawl on the bus, we are sat on sacks of potatoes, each others laps, anywhere we could get a foot is taken up.
The bus presses forward up the mountain, (it might only be a hill, but for this blog it's a mountain) eventually we get to Nagarkot where our new bus is waiting to take us back to the organised chaos that is Kathmandu. It's a shame to say it, but it was a relief to get back to the hotel. As beautiful as the scenery may be I think the title for today says it all.
I will try to get some photos on here for today, unfortunatly my camera was stil being repaired so I may have to borrow someone elses.
Anyway, we park in a small village and start to amble up this footpath towards a village called Nagarkot, it's all very pleasant. We turn a corner, cross a stream, stare at a spider and its web, it's a beautiful day.
After a couple of hours ambling along with the odd stop for a drink and a fag, tiredness begins to set in, you dont realise it but it's been following us since we left the village disguised as a black dog. Every step you take becomes an effort. You stop looking at the scenery and stare directly at your feet slowly taking one step at a time. Your hands get placed firmly on your knees, on every step you push down. Tiredness has now caught you.
We keep pressing on slowly but surely untill salvation appears in the shape of a rickety old mountain bus. It's absolutly packed. We wave it down, a small boy leans from the doorway, "Nagarkot.......Nagarkot"? We nod our heads and crawl on the bus, we are sat on sacks of potatoes, each others laps, anywhere we could get a foot is taken up.
The bus presses forward up the mountain, (it might only be a hill, but for this blog it's a mountain) eventually we get to Nagarkot where our new bus is waiting to take us back to the organised chaos that is Kathmandu. It's a shame to say it, but it was a relief to get back to the hotel. As beautiful as the scenery may be I think the title for today says it all.
Thursday 1 November 2007
Thursday 1st November. WHITE WATER.
The first activity day of our extended trip to Nepal and what a day it was. Today all 16 of the 'stayers' are went white water rafting. It was an excellant day, people falling in, jumping in even somersaulting from their dingys, It truely has been a 'good-good' day. There are smiles all round and everyone agrees we made the right decision to stay.
We find out later in the day that Ozbus 1g and 1h are now just one bus and that one bus took 21 hours to get to Darjeeling, and the other 'stayers' group that ventured into Tibet for Everest base camp are already a day behind as the Tibetan border was closed when they got there and they have to wait untill it opens again.
We find out later in the day that Ozbus 1g and 1h are now just one bus and that one bus took 21 hours to get to Darjeeling, and the other 'stayers' group that ventured into Tibet for Everest base camp are already a day behind as the Tibetan border was closed when they got there and they have to wait untill it opens again.
Tuesday 30 October 2007
Wednesday 31st October. DIVIDED - WE STILL STAND TOGETHER.
Today is the day we were due to leave Nepal and head of on our alternative itinerary back into India. However for various reasons not everyone has gone. Our initial group of 6 has grown, we are now 16 and we are staying in Kathmandu and meeting the bus again in Bangkok, 8 of us are venturing into Tibet, 3 of us are going to Koh Samui and 1 we havn't got a clue what she is doing (sometimes I wonder if she knows what she is doing).
So from our initial band of 41 (including driver and tour manager) there are 28 that did not make it onto the bus at 3:30 this morning.
Today I spent doing useful things, moving from one hotel to another, got my hair cut, had a shave, did a bit of shopping, had chocolate cake and apple pie, I had my watched repaired (Helpful hint: If you have a waterproof watch make sure that the winder is fully in before you go swimming) and I am having my camera fixed after dropping it and breaking the battery cover in India.
However few of us there are in any of the splinter groups we are stil Ozbus 1. We may be apart at the moment but come Sydney we will be back together to complete this unforgettable adventure.
So from our initial band of 41 (including driver and tour manager) there are 28 that did not make it onto the bus at 3:30 this morning.
Today I spent doing useful things, moving from one hotel to another, got my hair cut, had a shave, did a bit of shopping, had chocolate cake and apple pie, I had my watched repaired (Helpful hint: If you have a waterproof watch make sure that the winder is fully in before you go swimming) and I am having my camera fixed after dropping it and breaking the battery cover in India.
However few of us there are in any of the splinter groups we are stil Ozbus 1. We may be apart at the moment but come Sydney we will be back together to complete this unforgettable adventure.
Monday 29 October 2007
Tuesday 30th October. ON TOP OF THE WORLD.
Breakfast is a banana, an orange (thats green), an apple and a packet of biscuits, probably one of the worst to date. But thats not important. Today we board Yeti Airlines, Flight OY305 for our sightseeing tour around Mount Everest.
Some people though we were short of a brain cell or something to do this trip and there have been times that I have thought the same. Today I saw the snow capped peak of Mount Everest, standing at 29028 ft, the highest point on this earth, What did you do?
The best part of the rest of the day was spent confirming times, events and numbers and trying to sort alternative accomodation as our hotel does not have enough rooms for our expanding troup of 'Stayers in Nepal'.
Today has been a good day, things are firmly in our own control, for the next few days anyway.
Some people though we were short of a brain cell or something to do this trip and there have been times that I have thought the same. Today I saw the snow capped peak of Mount Everest, standing at 29028 ft, the highest point on this earth, What did you do?
The best part of the rest of the day was spent confirming times, events and numbers and trying to sort alternative accomodation as our hotel does not have enough rooms for our expanding troup of 'Stayers in Nepal'.
Today has been a good day, things are firmly in our own control, for the next few days anyway.
Monday 29th October. GENESIS AND EXODUS.
Some people have gone on a hike, 2 hours after arriving. Others had more sence and slept. A few of the sensible ones meet in the dining room for breakfast and we talk about alternative plans for our immediate future on 1g and 1h.
After a quick walk in the streets of Kathmandu and a sit down with the best mug of coffee since I left work, 6 of us have a plan on paper. 2-3 hours happily ambling the narrow streets and I want to stay here longer, gone are my thoughts about Koh Samui for now.
The rest of the day is spent organising White Water Rafting, Trekking and Bungee Jumping. By the end of the day our numbers have increased to eleven.
After a quick walk in the streets of Kathmandu and a sit down with the best mug of coffee since I left work, 6 of us have a plan on paper. 2-3 hours happily ambling the narrow streets and I want to stay here longer, gone are my thoughts about Koh Samui for now.
The rest of the day is spent organising White Water Rafting, Trekking and Bungee Jumping. By the end of the day our numbers have increased to eleven.
Sunday 28th October. ROUGH AND SMOOTH.
Breakfast eaten, bus loaded and we're away by 6:30am. We have been told today will be a long day but we havn't been told how long. I'm not going to write that much about today at the moment as I feel totally hacked off (I'm sorry for using the word 'hacked' but it's either that or a swear word).
Some twenty hours later we arrive at our latest hotel, 10 flights of stairs with my backpack and 2 minutes later, I'm in bed asleep.
I'm writing this tomorrow now and I'm in a better frame of mind, not brilliant but better so a brief description of yesterdays (i.e. today) events. Toilet breaks at the side of the roads for men and and women including No1's and No2's for both sexes, not stopping for dinner except 15 mins to buy bananas and water. Excluding the hours break at 10:00pm and the border crossing we had spent 16 hours on the bus with little more than half an hour as breaks. My apologies go to the people who run the restaurant we stopped at, I still cant get the hang of your squatting toilets.
THIS DAY SUCKED
Something I forgot, we have two new buses, 1g and 1h and they are worse than the ones that we have just left in India. They bounce like crazy over every single bump and there are thousands and thousands and thousands from the border with India, the only consolation is that the roof is a little higher so you dont bang your head as much. It is impossible to sleep and it is stuffy. I dont know if I mentioned this but TODAY SUCKED.
Some twenty hours later we arrive at our latest hotel, 10 flights of stairs with my backpack and 2 minutes later, I'm in bed asleep.
I'm writing this tomorrow now and I'm in a better frame of mind, not brilliant but better so a brief description of yesterdays (i.e. today) events. Toilet breaks at the side of the roads for men and and women including No1's and No2's for both sexes, not stopping for dinner except 15 mins to buy bananas and water. Excluding the hours break at 10:00pm and the border crossing we had spent 16 hours on the bus with little more than half an hour as breaks. My apologies go to the people who run the restaurant we stopped at, I still cant get the hang of your squatting toilets.
THIS DAY SUCKED
Something I forgot, we have two new buses, 1g and 1h and they are worse than the ones that we have just left in India. They bounce like crazy over every single bump and there are thousands and thousands and thousands from the border with India, the only consolation is that the roof is a little higher so you dont bang your head as much. It is impossible to sleep and it is stuffy. I dont know if I mentioned this but TODAY SUCKED.
Saturday 27th October. RELIEVING THE STESS.
We set off before dawn to see the sunrise and the burning of bodies on the Ganges (a healthy thing to do if your on a diet and don't want breakfast).For the rest of today I have had myself a very lazy day and I have done absolutly nothing but stay within the hotels walls and gardens. I've swum in the pool, made full use of the restaurant, abused the internet cafe trying to add more entries and now I know how to add pictures (thank you Whole) to this blog.
If only all days could be like this, it would feel more like a holiday. Tomorrow wont be though, we have a very long drive and a border crossing as we cross from India and hean to Kathmandu in Nepal.
If only all days could be like this, it would feel more like a holiday. Tomorrow wont be though, we have a very long drive and a border crossing as we cross from India and hean to Kathmandu in Nepal.
Friday 26th October. OUT OF LUCK.
A new dawn, a new day and a new frame of mind, I will go to Koh Samui before the bus does and there are several others that seem quite interested in the idea. I just hope the logistics and costs can be sorted to make it possible. I have draughted an e-mail to Ozbus UK and see what happens.
Meanwhile the lack of facilities both on the bus and in the dirty dusty little towns we pass through means another toilet break at the side of the road. There are times that you feel sorry for the ladies but there are other times that make you laugh (Thanks Freaky, I dont think marmalade will ever be the same again).
We arrive at our newest destination, Varanasi. This is where Hindus want to be cremated when they die, on the banks of the River Ganges. In a way it's like their gods waiting room, I suppose our Christian Version of Varanasi would be the Isle-of-Wight.
Our hotel though has to be the best to date, it has a swimming pool, steam bath, money exchange, 24hr internet, a good restaurant that serves western style food and a massage parlour that a few of use before we go to bed.
Meanwhile the lack of facilities both on the bus and in the dirty dusty little towns we pass through means another toilet break at the side of the road. There are times that you feel sorry for the ladies but there are other times that make you laugh (Thanks Freaky, I dont think marmalade will ever be the same again).
We arrive at our newest destination, Varanasi. This is where Hindus want to be cremated when they die, on the banks of the River Ganges. In a way it's like their gods waiting room, I suppose our Christian Version of Varanasi would be the Isle-of-Wight.
Our hotel though has to be the best to date, it has a swimming pool, steam bath, money exchange, 24hr internet, a good restaurant that serves western style food and a massage parlour that a few of use before we go to bed.
Thursday 25th October. DO I NEED LUCK NOW.
7 hrs non stop before we get something to eat and drink, except for a 5 min stop at the side of the road for a toilet break. The gents stand by the road with backs to the coach, the ladies see what little cover they can find and cling to as much dignity as they can squatting behind a pile of earth.
Today has been one of the many driving days that you might of thought I'd be used to, it has made me more certain that I need a break from the bus before it drives me crazy.
I am writing this part in my diary as we drive into Lucknow, our next hotel. One look at the place and I know I need to change my luck-now.
Today has been one of the many driving days that you might of thought I'd be used to, it has made me more certain that I need a break from the bus before it drives me crazy.
I am writing this part in my diary as we drive into Lucknow, our next hotel. One look at the place and I know I need to change my luck-now.
Wedneasday 24th October. BROKEN BAND.
Today should be one of the highlights of the trip, we are going to the Taj Mahal. We should all be excited but we are hit with a double disappointment before we even get on the bus. Firstly, two of our group are taking a break from the tour and heading to Goa on the southcoast of India for some rest and relaxation. Secondly we are told that due to adverse weather conditions on the friendship highway we are taking the alternative route. This means staying in India for nearly another week before catching a plane to Bangkok. The result of this is that we will miss Laos and China, nor will we be visiting Everest base camp. My third disappointment of the day, and this is wholly personal to me, was the Taj Mahal. Yes it is beautiful with all its inlaid and sculptured marble. For me it was somewhere I felt I had been ripped off, 750 Rupees on entry of which 500 of that was tax compare to Indian nationals that only have to pay 20. Also, I was not allowed to take my cigarettes in (I tried but the security guard found them).
The only thing that lightened my mood today was doing impressions of Princess Diana and her soleful look in that picture of her sat on a bench with the Taj Mahal behind her.
The only thing that lightened my mood today was doing impressions of Princess Diana and her soleful look in that picture of her sat on a bench with the Taj Mahal behind her.
Thursday 18th October. I DONT LIKE CRICKET AH, OH NO.
Today Pakistan are playing South Africa at cricket in a 'limited overs' international here in Lahore. There are about 20 of us that have got tickets, we also have one of the large magnetic Ozbus signs from the side of the bus, some of us have even bought Pakistan cricket shirts.
We get quite a bit of attention as we enter the ground, I dont expect they get many groups of obvious looking westerners coming to watch the cricket. Immediatly we are picked out by a camera crew, we all line up with our sign and are clearly visable to the whole ground as they show us on the very large TV screen on the scoreboard. Eventually we get to take our seats, we are an attraction, people start to edge closer and closer until eventually we are surrounded. The locals are very inquisitive wanting to know who we are, where we are from, what we are doing in Pakistan. Now dont get me wrong once or twice is ok, you can maintain the enthusiasm about travelling by bus from one side of the world to the other, however by the fifth, sixth, thirteenth and fourteenth time all you really want is to be left alone to watch the cricket (I never thought I'd ever say that I wanted to watch cricket).
Myself and The Fox (a South African. Also known as a 'Safa') sit apart from the rest and meet with another Safa who is an aid worker taking some time off from her work in Afganistan. We are cheering for South Africa, the rest of the thousand or so in our enclosure obviosly arn't, but it is all taken in good fun and in general we all have a god time (for myself the only thing that spoilt it was the cricket).
We get quite a bit of attention as we enter the ground, I dont expect they get many groups of obvious looking westerners coming to watch the cricket. Immediatly we are picked out by a camera crew, we all line up with our sign and are clearly visable to the whole ground as they show us on the very large TV screen on the scoreboard. Eventually we get to take our seats, we are an attraction, people start to edge closer and closer until eventually we are surrounded. The locals are very inquisitive wanting to know who we are, where we are from, what we are doing in Pakistan. Now dont get me wrong once or twice is ok, you can maintain the enthusiasm about travelling by bus from one side of the world to the other, however by the fifth, sixth, thirteenth and fourteenth time all you really want is to be left alone to watch the cricket (I never thought I'd ever say that I wanted to watch cricket).
Myself and The Fox (a South African. Also known as a 'Safa') sit apart from the rest and meet with another Safa who is an aid worker taking some time off from her work in Afganistan. We are cheering for South Africa, the rest of the thousand or so in our enclosure obviosly arn't, but it is all taken in good fun and in general we all have a god time (for myself the only thing that spoilt it was the cricket).
Saturday 27 October 2007
Tuesday 16th October. ONE OF THOSE DAYS.
There is not that much to write, today we travelled from Sukker to Multan. It was one of those very long days in Ozbus 1/d. The greenery became even greener and brick kilns fewer still.
Monday 15th October. SUKKER AND BLOW.
Waking from my sleeping bag I get my pack ready. Today we have an estimated 10 hours for the 420 Km (260 miles) drive to Sukkar. We are all very happy when it only takes us 7, the scenary starts to change, things start to become much greener as we leave the mountains and the arid lands behind. We start to pass palm trees and paddy fields, so much different from Quetta and its many brick kilns belching black smoke throughout the day.
We stop for one of our toilet breaks at a petrol station, this is good for me as I am running very low on cigarettes. I look around but they dont sell the, I try to talk to the man that works there and he claps his hands, shouts something at a young boy who then runs away. Five minutes later the boy runs back with a packet of cigarettes, I thank the man and the boy and turn to get back on the bus, the man calls me back he is offering me something (our guide had already told me it is taken as rudeness to refuse a gift), So I accept with a smile and a thank-you and get back on the bus. This man had just given me something of a local delicacy, a small but not unusable lump of hashish. I talk to our guide who informs me it is legal to have upto 10 grams in Pakistan, this is classed as personal use. How civilised. Continuing on our route we pass camels, donkeys, goats and water buffalo.
Still daylight and we arrive at our hotel 'The Hotel Pak-Inn', I chase the lizards out of my room and meet everyone in the dining room for lunch.
As a group we take the buses into Sukker where we still need to find an Internet cafe and others want to get haircuts and do a little shopping. As soon as we step from the bus we start to get mobbed again, some say they feel like pop stars and there are references made to Posh and Backs. We quickly get back on the buses and go on our tour. Our police escort stops the traffic as we sit in the middle of Sukkers 'famous' bridge and watch the sun set before we return to our hotel.
I am now sat in my room updating my diary and have a smoke with others, its 2:30am before I go to sleep.
I apologise for neglecting this blog, I will try harder in future
We stop for one of our toilet breaks at a petrol station, this is good for me as I am running very low on cigarettes. I look around but they dont sell the, I try to talk to the man that works there and he claps his hands, shouts something at a young boy who then runs away. Five minutes later the boy runs back with a packet of cigarettes, I thank the man and the boy and turn to get back on the bus, the man calls me back he is offering me something (our guide had already told me it is taken as rudeness to refuse a gift), So I accept with a smile and a thank-you and get back on the bus. This man had just given me something of a local delicacy, a small but not unusable lump of hashish. I talk to our guide who informs me it is legal to have upto 10 grams in Pakistan, this is classed as personal use. How civilised. Continuing on our route we pass camels, donkeys, goats and water buffalo.
Still daylight and we arrive at our hotel 'The Hotel Pak-Inn', I chase the lizards out of my room and meet everyone in the dining room for lunch.
As a group we take the buses into Sukker where we still need to find an Internet cafe and others want to get haircuts and do a little shopping. As soon as we step from the bus we start to get mobbed again, some say they feel like pop stars and there are references made to Posh and Backs. We quickly get back on the buses and go on our tour. Our police escort stops the traffic as we sit in the middle of Sukkers 'famous' bridge and watch the sun set before we return to our hotel.
I am now sat in my room updating my diary and have a smoke with others, its 2:30am before I go to sleep.
I apologise for neglecting this blog, I will try harder in future
Sunday 14th October. TRUST AND SUSPICION.
A free day today, we have no tours or bus rides, the whole day is ours. After a good breakfast of fried eggs, toast and tea (such a change from flat bread, honey and cheese that seemed to be the norm in Iran). Five of us; The Juice, The Couple (including the whole), Freaky and myself decide to head into town to look for a cashpoint and internet cafe. Most places are closed as today is the muslim festival of Eid (the equivilent of our Christmas), after thirty days of fasting during daylight hours they are finally able to let their hair down.
We are totally mobbed, seriously, you couldn't move, we were surrounded. I dont think the locals here in Quetta get to see many western tourists, in fact our tour guide told us that we were the largest single group of western travellers to visit Pakistan since 1988. Things are all very friendly at first with handshakes and smiles but when they started touching and pinching the girls we decide to return to the sanctuary of our hotel and our armed police guards. Myself and Freaky get into a local three whelled taxi, The Couple (including the whole), and The Juice continue to walk.
In the taxi we meet three locals who seem very friendly, this I suspect is down to Freaky, I quite sure she gets plenty of attention most places she goes. They offer to show us their homes and businesses, I am very aprehensive but Freaky is full of trust and I cant let her go on her own. Next they offer to take us on a picnic at a local park, again I am suspicious, we make an excuse that we have to go back to our hotel first where we make sure people know where we are going and then with Freakys trust we go on our picnic.
We had a great time and my fears were false and Freakys trust was true. A saying from 'The Young Ones' comes to mind where Niel in his druggy hippy voice says "fools rush in where angels fear to tread", well in this case the angel rushed and the fool feared.
Does this say more about me or Freaky? I ponder this thought for a very brief moment as deep thought gives me headaches. Making a mental note to give more thought to this at a later date.
We are totally mobbed, seriously, you couldn't move, we were surrounded. I dont think the locals here in Quetta get to see many western tourists, in fact our tour guide told us that we were the largest single group of western travellers to visit Pakistan since 1988. Things are all very friendly at first with handshakes and smiles but when they started touching and pinching the girls we decide to return to the sanctuary of our hotel and our armed police guards. Myself and Freaky get into a local three whelled taxi, The Couple (including the whole), and The Juice continue to walk.
In the taxi we meet three locals who seem very friendly, this I suspect is down to Freaky, I quite sure she gets plenty of attention most places she goes. They offer to show us their homes and businesses, I am very aprehensive but Freaky is full of trust and I cant let her go on her own. Next they offer to take us on a picnic at a local park, again I am suspicious, we make an excuse that we have to go back to our hotel first where we make sure people know where we are going and then with Freakys trust we go on our picnic.
We had a great time and my fears were false and Freakys trust was true. A saying from 'The Young Ones' comes to mind where Niel in his druggy hippy voice says "fools rush in where angels fear to tread", well in this case the angel rushed and the fool feared.
Does this say more about me or Freaky? I ponder this thought for a very brief moment as deep thought gives me headaches. Making a mental note to give more thought to this at a later date.
Friday 26 October 2007
Saturday 13th October. UNITED NATIONS INTO PAKISTAN.
Up early and off to the border with Pakistan where we are told we might have a long delay. We are only delayed a short while and we transfer all of our equipment from our replacement Tahran bus (Ozbus 1b) through customs and onto the top of two mini-buses, these are now Ozbus 1c (beige) and Ozbus 1d (blue).
We have an armed police guard all 650 Km (about 406 miles) from the border to our next destination Quetta. We stop every now and again as we enter different zones and they chnge guards, we knew this was going to be a long drive but for today it didn't matter. We had new drivers, new coaches, a new country and for me a new attitude, but for how long?
All of a sudden after about 10 hours of nothing special to write about there is a grinding noise and the coach starts to tilt to the left. We have grounded ourselves and ended up half in a roadside ditch, half on the road (hanging off the edge of mountain sounds better). The Ozbus team go into action, Ozzy army and British army (a booze brother)strip the roof of all the luggage to prevent the slightest possibility of it over balancing and we all get out. A multi-coloured spingle spangle lorry helps pull Ozbus 1d back onto the road (you know the type I mean, you see them in those Bollywood films). We load up and continue on our way.
We all agree had been the best driving day to date. Even after 4 weeks of being together 24/7 we all pulled together, all 41 people from 7 different countries to get 1 job done. Today I can say "I am proud to be part of United Nations Ozbus 1c and 1d".
After a mostly dry time in Iran, beer and whiskey is made available by our new guide Khalid. He is instantly adopted as an Ozbus 1 member. Our hotel is very basic (thats being kind) however the staff were very frienly and more than willing to help.
We have an armed police guard all 650 Km (about 406 miles) from the border to our next destination Quetta. We stop every now and again as we enter different zones and they chnge guards, we knew this was going to be a long drive but for today it didn't matter. We had new drivers, new coaches, a new country and for me a new attitude, but for how long?
All of a sudden after about 10 hours of nothing special to write about there is a grinding noise and the coach starts to tilt to the left. We have grounded ourselves and ended up half in a roadside ditch, half on the road (hanging off the edge of mountain sounds better). The Ozbus team go into action, Ozzy army and British army (a booze brother)strip the roof of all the luggage to prevent the slightest possibility of it over balancing and we all get out. A multi-coloured spingle spangle lorry helps pull Ozbus 1d back onto the road (you know the type I mean, you see them in those Bollywood films). We load up and continue on our way.
We all agree had been the best driving day to date. Even after 4 weeks of being together 24/7 we all pulled together, all 41 people from 7 different countries to get 1 job done. Today I can say "I am proud to be part of United Nations Ozbus 1c and 1d".
After a mostly dry time in Iran, beer and whiskey is made available by our new guide Khalid. He is instantly adopted as an Ozbus 1 member. Our hotel is very basic (thats being kind) however the staff were very frienly and more than willing to help.
Thursday 18 October 2007
Thursday 11th October. MUD, MUD, GLORIOUS MUD.
There might be a little bit more information than normal today as I made notes as we were travelling and asked questions of Kia. It was almost like I was realy interested. I honestly dont know what came over me.
This morning we visited the mausoleum of SHAH NEATOLAH VALI who was a religious leader some 800 years ago, the shrine seems out of place in this dusty town. We then go to the SHAZDEH GARDEN which is even more out os place, a lush green garden some 100 meters long with fountains and pools surrounded by dusty little hovels that the inhabitants dont seem to be able to afford to maintain, not even if a wall falls down.
In the evening we visit RAYEN ARG. This is a 2nd century mud fortress currently being refurbished in parts but still impressive, we are told that this is the 2nd largest mud city in the world.
Later we go to BAM. The largest mud city in the world (four times larger than the second). It is in ruins since an earthquake 4 years ago and is having major work carried out as it is a World Heritage Site.
Today was a good day.
After showing one half of The Couple my diary today I extend my apologies to her. She is of coarse A Whole, not one half of The Couple.
I'm sure she didn't mean hole. :)
This morning we visited the mausoleum of SHAH NEATOLAH VALI who was a religious leader some 800 years ago, the shrine seems out of place in this dusty town. We then go to the SHAZDEH GARDEN which is even more out os place, a lush green garden some 100 meters long with fountains and pools surrounded by dusty little hovels that the inhabitants dont seem to be able to afford to maintain, not even if a wall falls down.
In the evening we visit RAYEN ARG. This is a 2nd century mud fortress currently being refurbished in parts but still impressive, we are told that this is the 2nd largest mud city in the world.
Later we go to BAM. The largest mud city in the world (four times larger than the second). It is in ruins since an earthquake 4 years ago and is having major work carried out as it is a World Heritage Site.
Today was a good day.
After showing one half of The Couple my diary today I extend my apologies to her. She is of coarse A Whole, not one half of The Couple.
I'm sure she didn't mean hole. :)
Tuesday 9th October. BUT I TOOK PHOTOS.
I cant be bothered to write that much today, its been a long one. But here's some photos of where we stopped, the nice hotel we ended up in and some of the people on our world tour.
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