Over the plains, through the hills, and dodging bullets

Bangladeshi train between Dhaka and Sylhet

Vehicle ferry - Bangladesh

Dhaka street

Dhaka

Dhaka

Dhaka

Dhaka

Bangladeshi train between Dhaka and Sylhet


I had always assumed that Bangladesh was pretty much the same as India, except poorer, and that it flooded a lot. Then I went there and discovered how wrong I was. It's BEAUTIFUL. The whole country is, for all practical purposes, completely off of the tourist map. In fact, many hotels don't accept foreigners (something to do with needing a license, or liability if something bad happens to the tourist. Indeed, a difficult language barrier, a bit of red tape, and the ultra-conservative views of the Islamic population (83%) with respect to women present more of a challenge than travel in India. However, a bit of perseverence and a lot of patience paid off, and I have been left with an experience that will stay with me for the rest of my life. I saw genuine curiosty and incredible kindess in people who had next to no material wealth. Someone was always looking to help us, even when we didn't need help.... the people are friendly and curious to a fault. Large crowds formed to watch me perform the most ordinary tasks: Buying a watermelon, trying on sandals, drinking a cup of tea, etc. When I arrived in Sylhet (near the Indian border) I was greeted by the Mayor (who happened to be sitting in the lobby of my hotel.) He gave me his card and told me to contact him if I had "any trouble, any trouble at all."Never have I felt more like a celebrity than I did in Bangladesh.
Hindu street - Dhaka

Dawki, Meghalaya - Bangladesh/India Border

Weekly market - Sohra, Meghalaya

Sohra, Meghalaya

Living root bridge - Cherrapunjee, Meghalaya

Double-decker root bridge - Cherrapunjee

When we crossed the border at Dawki, we certainly weren't on the plains of Bangladesh anymore, but it didn't feel like we were returning to India either. Meghalaya is one of India's smallest states, and it feels like an entirely different country. The people look and behave differently, and speak their own language. Cherrapunjee is the wettest place in the world (it receives over 12,000 mm of rain in a year) and the landscape reflects this. It's absolutely stunning. I spent my days wandering through villages, and natural swimming holes, over spectacular Indiana Jones style bridges, and even more spectacular bridges formed from the roots of living trees. I'll be visiting there again...

Cherrapunjee, Meghalaya

Cherrapunjee, Meghalaya

Cherrapunjee, Meghalaya

Cherrapunjee, Meghalaya

Yes, that stuff splattered down the side of the bus is what you think it is.

Woooooooo!!!


I'm writing this post from Guwahati, the capital of Assam. It's a charmless, dirty city that I've been forced to pass through on my way to Darjeeling. Every once in a while, someone shoots a rocket propelled grenade at an army barracks, or blows up a bus here. It's tense... Soldiers in combat gear carrying automatic rifles have checkpoints set up all over the city. I won't be sorry to leave this evening.

Kolkata (Calcutta)

Garbage collectors - Calcutta

Victoria memorial - Calcutta

The ghats - Varanasi

Varanasi

My guesthouse-Varanasi

Varanasi

Wood vendor near Manikarnka ghat (burning ghat) - Varanasi

Varanasi

Varanasi. It's one of the oldest inhabited cities on earth, the city of Shiva, and the center of the hindu universe. It's an impossible place to describe to someone who hasn't experienced India. Cows, dogs, monkeys, people, bicycles and motorbikes share the narrow maze of twisting alley ways of the old city. Ancient trees grow literally into and out of the walls of ancient buildings. People are publicly burned at the cremation ghats on the banks of the Ganges. It's full power India. Despite the absurdity and craziness (to western eyes) of various activities that occur here, I've found the general atmosphere to be quite subdued, especially while wandering the ghats (giant staircases descending into the Ganges.) Apart from an unpleasant exchange with an aggressive scam artist near the burning ghats, and the usual offers of drugs, trinkets and boatrides "very cheap! you first customer today, I give good price!" I've been left very much to my own devices to discover the city.

Laxmanjhula Bridge over the Ganges - Rishikesh

Rishikesh

Hanuman(the bodybuilder monkey) and Rama (Blue), two important hindu gods. - Rishikesh

Lightning in Rishikesh


Rishikesh was.... ummmm... ok, I'll admit it. Rishikesh was a bit of a disappointment. It sounds great to hear it described: a town tucked into the foothills of the Himalayas along a clean and beautiful stretch of the Ganges where yoga is offered just about everywhere.
To me, it felt like a giant new-age shopping mall, full of western cafe latte wannabe yogis, hippy clothing shops, and broadband internet cafes. I did some yoga, but the market is so flooded with instructors (virtualy every hotel offers a class) that it is difficult to know where to start looking. The classes that I attended in Rishikesh did not begin to approach the quality of instruction I recieved in Arambol.
I went to a consultation with an ayurvedic doctor and got myself analysed. Apparently I'm batha-pitha (composed of fire and air.....) Interesting. I watched a crazy lightning storm and went for some walks up the Ganges.
Don't get me wrong, it was nice. It just wasn't that nice.

Sarnath

There's always something interesting to look at while traveling by train in India.

Tomorrow morning I will explore Sarnath (10km north of Varanasi), the place where the Buddha gave his first sermon. In the evening I board a train for Calcutta. Next stop, city of joy!

Holy Holi!

hahaha! some sucker tourist getting powdered.

CRAP.

Hmmmmmmm.....


It's quite interesting to see how one's perceptions of a place can change over time. Delhi once seemed crazy, noisy, dirty, full of hassles and a little out of control. Now, a little under four months later, it's clean and nice and easy to get around in... I've changed.
After an epic 42 hours of train travel (there is never fear of boredom when riding second class in this country), I arrived back in the capital on the day before Holi, a water and colour festival. Those who wish to remain clean during Holi had best stay inside. Gangs of kids armed with dye filled water balloons and water pistols attack anyone who looks remotely clean, while everyone else walks around throwing brightly coloured powders on everything that moves (and lots of things that don't move too.) I threw myself into it and had a great time.

Welcome to the jungle...

Kerala Backwaters

I'll let the pictures do most of the talking... I did my backwater cruise on a local ferry for 10 rupees (25 cents.) It was a great way to see how people live here.... very not touristy... it was like a typical indian bus, but on water.

Periyar was sweet. They've got hills... and tea, and it rains! (first I've seen in 2.5 months... this is indeed something to be excited about) and elephants and wild boars and bison and monkeys and.... alas, there were no tiger sightings.

On the road to Periyar



Tea plantation near Putady

Periyar

Touch me not plant

Kochi

Chinese fishing nets


Chinese fishing nets

Driving Piles - Keralan style

Chacko is clearly the man

Protesters in Bangalore, followed closely by armor-clad riot police.

It's interesting to observe how the type of traveller present in a particular area changes as one moves throughout India. My initial impression of Kochi is that it appeals largely to affluent short term term tourists... El-cheapo dhaba rats such as myself are less well represented. Makes sense too, I've found the south of India to be much more relaxed than the north. Of course there are still scams... but it feels much more like a game here. People will more likely try to charm you out of your money rather than use any other method.

I spent a day in Bangalore enroute to here from Hampi. It's a big city, and parts of it are shockingly westernized: Air conditinoned malls full of western stores, english spoken everywhere by everyone..... And there are massive protests happening there. The state of Karnataka is on strike. I wish I could say what it is all about. The best I can do at the moment is pass along the word of mouth explanation given to me by a fellow traveller: Apparently it has something to do with a dam being built or some water being diverted, and certain places in Karnataka are suffering because of it.

Regardless of the reasons behind it, the end result is that Karnataka ain't working. Many shops and factories aren't open, and the buses don't run. Fortunately for me, the railway is a national resource and was running normally.

Added a couple of extra pictures to the "Hampi photos" post.