Hey there,
Have finally managed to find a net Cafe :)
I am now starting my 3rd day in the south.I have to say that it was with great pleasure and with no small amount of relief that I caught the overnight train South out of Mumbai. I really hated Mumbai, with its filth, and inequality, I hated the sheer scale, confusion and Chaos all around and i found the needs of so so many people simply impossible to deal with. Perhaps i was not looking hard enough.....but i found nothing to admire and even less to like.
The train ride South was fun. we had 8 of us sleeping in our curtained off part of the carriage. it was a great way to travel and the trip took 12 hours. I had met a Irishman at the station and we washed up at the "beach resort" of Arambol the next day. He beautifully described our arrival at our accommodation as "like arriving in Darfur". While we knew that we were travelling in the off season.....we didn't realize that nearly everything is shut for the monsoon season. We managed to get accommodation at our fifth attempt.....in rooms that hadn't been opened since March, and where the smell of damp and mould was overpowering. After a lot of walking around we found a beach Restaurant that was open and where we met up with another Irishman from the train and his scots mate. We make an unlikely travelling party....but everyone felt better after a few beers.
We left the next day for a larger beach town called Baja....which is where we currently are. Again most of the shops and accommodation places are closed but enough are open that it doesn't feel like we are in a ghost town.
The greatest tragedy so far is that all the beaches are closed for swimming.....and patrolled by life guards to ensure they remain closed :(
The journey so far has really been one of hard slog. It has not been relaxing at all. everwhere so far is filthy and run down, the heat is amazing at first but also very draining and the needs of people are always present in their poverty and in their struggle for survival. India seems to require a hardening of the heart.....
A friend told me that India would be good for me.......because i would have to stop saving people and i would have to learn to say no.
Well "No" is now the first word on my lips............but I wonder what will happen to my heart
Have finally managed to find a net Cafe :)
I am now starting my 3rd day in the south.I have to say that it was with great pleasure and with no small amount of relief that I caught the overnight train South out of Mumbai. I really hated Mumbai, with its filth, and inequality, I hated the sheer scale, confusion and Chaos all around and i found the needs of so so many people simply impossible to deal with. Perhaps i was not looking hard enough.....but i found nothing to admire and even less to like.
The train ride South was fun. we had 8 of us sleeping in our curtained off part of the carriage. it was a great way to travel and the trip took 12 hours. I had met a Irishman at the station and we washed up at the "beach resort" of Arambol the next day. He beautifully described our arrival at our accommodation as "like arriving in Darfur". While we knew that we were travelling in the off season.....we didn't realize that nearly everything is shut for the monsoon season. We managed to get accommodation at our fifth attempt.....in rooms that hadn't been opened since March, and where the smell of damp and mould was overpowering. After a lot of walking around we found a beach Restaurant that was open and where we met up with another Irishman from the train and his scots mate. We make an unlikely travelling party....but everyone felt better after a few beers.
We left the next day for a larger beach town called Baja....which is where we currently are. Again most of the shops and accommodation places are closed but enough are open that it doesn't feel like we are in a ghost town.
The greatest tragedy so far is that all the beaches are closed for swimming.....and patrolled by life guards to ensure they remain closed :(
The journey so far has really been one of hard slog. It has not been relaxing at all. everwhere so far is filthy and run down, the heat is amazing at first but also very draining and the needs of people are always present in their poverty and in their struggle for survival. India seems to require a hardening of the heart.....
A friend told me that India would be good for me.......because i would have to stop saving people and i would have to learn to say no.
Well "No" is now the first word on my lips............but I wonder what will happen to my heart
Good on you Ant.Like your honesty.Let your heart open ( in a universal sort of way )and see what happens... you know India has hidden secrets. <3
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