TravelStream™ news feed for member hildreth75 on TravelPod's free travel blogs service http://www.travelpod.com/syndication/rss/hildreth75 en-us Copyright ©2009 TravelPod.com Sun, 23 Aug 2009 19:33:26 -0400 http://www.travelpod.com http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/hildreth75/asia/1248360802/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/hildreth75/asia/1248360802/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/hildreth75/asia/1248360802/tpod.html Sun, 23 Aug 2009 19:33:26 -0400 Move or die...

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Dhaka City, Dhaka, Bangladesh

Why Bangladesh you may ask?  Well why not!  Traveling around India I had not met another backpacker that had gone there or even wanted to.  Since it was right next door to Calcutta I figured what the hell.  Why not go to a country that is off the radar for most people....   I knew from the internet that the guide books would be wrong, there was no backpacker trail, no major sites and I would be constantly stared at. This just excited me all the more because getting off the beaten path is always rewarding.Getting from Calcutta to Bangladesh was a bit of  a process. After securing visas and catching a  bus to the border we had to go through a long and hot immigration process.  Luckily we sat next to a Bangladeshi student that was on his way home and he helped us through the whole thing. This guy was so nice that he even payed  for lunch when we had no Bangladeshi currency (due to currency conversion mishaps) This was just the start of the hospitality we were shown by random Bangladeshis.   The bus  was only suppose to take 12 hours but due to the monsoon, ferry lines and traffic jams it took way longer.  The ride would have been even worse if our bus did not contain a member of Parliament from Pakistan. Because of him we were able to drive to the front of the line of a 3 mile back up for the ferry.  This guy saved us some major time!       Since it was monsoon season in country that is famous for being underwater, I expected to get wet.  With my waterproof backpack, board shorts and bomb proof Keens (sandals)  I was ready for anything.  The moment I stepped off the bus my foot sank into at least 6 inches of standing water.  A storm just passed through and the streets were absolutely flooded!  WELCOME TO BANGLADESH!   Our first priority was to get the Dhaka Hash House Harriers.  Once again (if you have read any other of my pods) I called some hashers up (with the help of the internet) and BAM! we had a ride to the hash.   For some reason the guy I contacted got the time wrong for the hash and his driver (we call them chauffeurs)  picked us up an hour late.  This guy then proceeded to drive like a bat out of hell….Im pretty sure we hit ludicrous/light speed…While driving through a very crowed part of a slum, the police saw that two white guys in a very nice car were trying to get through.  They must have thought we were important because they started to beat everyone in our way with a bamboo stick!  They even ran in front of the car clearing a way for quite a while!  This must be what if feels like to be royalty…When we finally arrived we found that the entire kennel (about 50 people) had been waiting just for us!   We then embarked on of the best trails I have ever run..  The trail went through traditional villages, rice paddies, swamp lands and villagers mud huts.  We had multitudes of curious children running with us while the older locals simple stared in utter disbelief.  The circle at the end was once again a very unique experience.  For starters the Bangladeshi hashers are not conservative  and true hashing shenanigans abounded.  This was nice because Indian hashes are so conservative that it almost defeats the purpose.   Our hashing circle was surrounded by curious locals trying to figure out what 50 people singing songs, pounding beers and running around their village were doing!.  The night ended up at the American Club a  bar that is just for Consulate workers and their guest.  It was like a mini America.  Since Bangladesh is a Muslim country beer is not only super hard to get its super expensive.      We spent the rest of our time in Dhaka exploring the old city and the rivers.  We soon found out that Dhaka has some of the worst traffic jams in the world!!  With temperatures in 100 and no air con in our tuk-tuks we quickly became disillusioned with any sort of travel within the city.  We would literally bake to death  trying to get from one corner of the city to the next.  We would enter the tuk tuk full of energy and ambition and exit drenched in sweat with the life sucked from souls….We just so happened to visit Bangladesh during its hottest months…. On to the Sunderbands the biggest tidal mangroves in the world!         
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/hildreth75/asia/1248360375/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/hildreth75/asia/1248360375/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/hildreth75/asia/1248360375/tpod.html Sun, 09 Aug 2009 10:16:41 -0400 Move or die...

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Kolkata (Calcutta), West Bengal, India

Calcutta was a short but sweet experience.  It was short because we wanted to be in Bangladesh by Saturday for the hash.  This meant we had to catch a bus on Friday which only left us 3 days to explore the city and much of this time was spent at the Bangladeshi consulate obtaining our visas.        Out of all the major cities, Calcutta conjures up images of human suffering and stifling heat. . It turned out that it was just as hot as the rest of  India (either that or I was use to it) and the people were much friendly than India’s other mega cities.  It was cleaner than most and getting around was a cinch!   One of the main things I have wanted to do since coming to India was volunteer  for Mother Teresa's organization.  I had read a book ( called Are You Experienced) and ever since then I have always had this idea.   Normally I do not condone the religious agenda of this organization but there is something about Mother Teresa life that is truly remarkable.   The “ Saint of the Gutters’” does have her many critics that accuse her of religious imperialism and fault her for promoting the Catholics churches stance of contraception which seems foolish given the high rate of AIDS and hepatitis.  No matter what motivated her she still devoted her entire life to the poor and destitute and that’s gotta be worth something!      My plan was to meet some other volunteers and question them about their experiences.  Our first morning we accidentally stumbled upon a restaurant that happened to be the unofficial hangout for these people.  I asked question and they seemed nice enough and we agreed to meet that night to discuss it more.       That night we went to a bar and met two volunteers that had just arrived in Calcutta.  One guy was from Portugal with only a 1000 Euro to last him for 5 months (I don’t think he is going to make it) and the other girl was a  Peruvian lawyer on a volunteer holiday.  All the other volunteers we met had their various reason for being there.  From what I could tell there was a fair share of Jesus freaks and staunch Catholics.  There were also volunteers that legitimately wanted to help others for the sake of.... well…helping others…without any religious agenda.   I was keen to give it a ago but due to our time restraints of getting to Bangladesh for the hash it was just not in the cards.              It seemed that the volunteers were tight knit group of people that would work all day and party all night.  We ended up joining the gang that evening and wound up in club with some sort of live metal band.  The best part of getting to the club was the rickshaw race.  Calcutta is the last place in India in which you can be pulled by around in human powered rickshaw   Some speculate if its morally acceptable to be hauled around the streets by a barefoot man.  However, I am not one of those speculators and with a stomach full of Kingfisher and pocket full of rupees the rickshaw race was born!              Me against Dave.....   No matter how loudly I swore at my driver he would not speed up so I payed extra for a bamboo switch and went to town on his neck and back....this really got him moving....until he he tripped and the rickshaw rolled right over him....  This of course… is a Joke!     What our rickshaw race entailed was us pulling our drivers and paying them like they were working.   Even with my bad knee I quickly out distanced Skinny Mcpotbelly (Dave) and victory was mine!   Running through the streets of Calcutta  at midnight pulling a rickshaw for some reason drew a lot of attention……     The rest of our time in Calcutta was spent dancing with monkeys, exploring flower markets, gazing in awe at funny faced Rajastanti goats, drinking chai, getting our visa to Bangladesh (135 bucks!) and  introducing frrisbee to the locals.   I liked what I saw of Calcutta and wished I had more time.  I am hoping to return on day to volunteer and see more of the city!
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/hildreth75/asia/1248359974/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/hildreth75/asia/1248359974/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/hildreth75/asia/1248359974/tpod.html Tue, 04 Aug 2009 21:21:47 -0400 Move or die...

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Gezying, India

Sikkim is the place in India where backpackers go when they are starting to feel jaded by the heat and hassles of India.  Its clean (plastic bags are banned) and the Himalayan mountain air is fresh.   It felt like I had stepped into another country.  The people look very Asian since it shares its borders with Nepal, China and Bhutan.  There are Buddhist temples and monastaries dotted all over the plunging mountains and valleys. Sikkim use to be its own kingdom until 1975.  It has long been considered of the last Himalayan Shangri Las.  India took over without a fight and I don't thing it really even affected the way the people lived there.   I'm thinking they got lucky because it could have been China and we all know what happens when they take over Buddhist countries!       Entering Sikkim requires a permit.  We got ours in Darjeeling after going to 3 different offices around town and filling out form after form.  They want to know who is going up there since China is close by.  Many areas near the borders do not allow foreigners but Indians can go where they please.     I wanted to check out Sikkim to see more of the Himalayas but I ran into the same problem I did before...... Monsoon Season!  So frustrating!  The worlds 3rd largets peak (in the same range as Everest) is easily seen from this area but of course I never saw it!   The first place we visited was a town called Namchi whose only claim to fame was a giant Buddha perched on a mountain that is directly across from another mountain with a giant Shiva staring back.   The book made this sound somewhat interesting and it was (on paper) on our way to our next destination so we decided to investigate.  We caught a taxi to the top of the mountain paid an absurd entry fee and Blam!!!! we were staring at yet another giant Buddha.   Promptly after that we got stuck in a rain storm and were less than impressed that we had to walk the 7 miles back to town.   In general the whole outing was kinda lame but in retrospect the walk down was pretty scenic with some nice views of the surrounding mountains     The next day we caught a couple different shared jeeps and wound up in Pelling.   This place is known for its jaw-dropping dawn views of Khangchendzonga (3rd highest peak)  Thanks to the monsoon we never did properly see it.   We had planned on going for a 3 day hike that took in variety of himalayan landscapes, scenic buddhist temples, waterfalls and charming little villages but due to the monsoon and constant cloud cover we decided to forgo this.   Sikkim cold have been super sweet but of course the weather put a damper on all our activities.      It just so happened to be a full moon while we were in Pelling and the Buddhist Monastery on the hill was celebrating.   We wandered up to discover a killer view and free food for all.   We hung out for while watching the monks chant and villagers drink tea.  Very zen........     One refreshing surprise about the area is its beer making ability.  All over India, Kingfisher is the most common beer.  However,  India adds a preservative called glycerol to all the beers  (Budweiser, Fosters and a whole host of others).  This little preservative cause the beer to taste like swill an gives an ungodly hangover.   Since Sikkim has its own culture and its own rules they make their own brand of beer.   Thanks be to the beer gods it's  glycerol free!  It taste delicious and they have some of the cheapest alcohol prices in the country.   Certain villages have tongba-bars which is a drink served in a wooded mug (very medieval).  It is filled with fermented millet seed onto which boiling hot water is poured.  The resultant liquid is then sucked through a straw.  It tasted very similar to japanese sake and was suppose to be organic.  It was an experience to have the local drink even though I personally was not that huge of a fan.            Feeling like we were wasting our time we decided that instead of waiting for the weather to clear we would head back to the real India.  Calcutta to be exact..... We were ready for the heat and the crazy of India... I like to say India is for people with travelers A.D.D..  There is always something going on with never a dull moment.  Sikkim is majorly laid back so if you have traveler A.D.D. then Sikkim can be a bit on the boring side....     Now to address an issue that I have forgotten.... For the last four and half months I have been a vegetarian.  I decided to try this out since it is so easily done in India.  All restaurants are either veg or non-veg and many times the restaurants have different sections for vegetarians (much like a smoking section)  Since it was easy, good for my gut and some may say good for my body I decided to give it a go.  I have been 98 percent faithful to my cause.  The only times I slipped up were on accident.  Sri Lanka was difficult because eating strictly vegetarian there was difficult but I did manage not to cheat.... once Dave started to travel with me I was constantly exposed to his meat eating antics and began to crave flesh!  I even dreamed about eating meat (insert gay joke here)  After visting Sikkim where eating Veg was once again put to the test I decided to end my love affair with the veggies.   The final picture in this entry is my first plate of meat in 4 1/2 months.  I got a meat sizzler platter than included bacon, sausage, beef, chicken and eggs...it was glorious!!!                       
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/hildreth75/asia/1248352870/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/hildreth75/asia/1248352870/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/hildreth75/asia/1248352870/tpod.html Thu, 30 Jul 2009 09:43:14 -0400 Move or die...

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Darjeeling, West Bengal, India

Getting to Darjeeling was a major chore due to the fact that it is a hill station connected to the rest of India by tiny little winding roads with suicidal drop offs.   Its really not that far but because of the slow speed we were forced to travel it took forever!   We had to catch a jeep  in a random town and squeeze into miniature seats (made for tiny little Indians) for the 4 hours trip.      Darjeeling is located in the beginning of the Himalayan mountain range and is surrounded by tea plantations.  On a sunny day I’m sure the view of the surrounding area at that altitude is simply stunning.  There is even a point just outside of Darjeeling called Tiger Point, where if one rises early enough they can behold the highest peak in the world (Everest) as well as 4 or 5 others that are in the same range.  The view is suppose to be breathtaking.  Unfortunately for us it was monsoon season which means even though we were in the Himalayas we could not see a DAMN THING!      It was extremely frustrating for me to finally have made it to the highest mountain range in the world and not be able to tell.  I wanted to head towards Nepal and hike my brains out but since it was monsoon season what would be the point?  All we could see were clouds and rain….occasionally the sun would poke its head out and illuminate the area and a peak might pop it's head out for 3 seconds but those moments were extremely rare.   There were all sorts of treks from Darjeeling that went across epics Himalayan ridge lines with grandiose sweeping view but due to the freaking monsoon, they were closed for the season!    It had rained so much before we arrived that mudslides were destroying everything.   We  saw enormous parts of the mountains missing.  A mudslide had taken out many sections of the train tracks and water supply while killing a bunch of people…..so long story short.... the weather sucked!  On the bright side for the first time in a long time we were not sweating profusely and were able to wear the single set of warm clothes that we had been lugging around….      We spent our time in Darjeeling sampling the many teas the area produces.  This area grows some of the highest priced teas in the world!  I’m no tea conisurer but I did appreciate tasting my way around.... what I really enjoyed was the Café Coffee day.   One of my many daily quest in India was to procure a good cup of coffee.  Since India is not really a coffee country this was a never ending mission.   The major cities do have specialty coffee shops aimed at the upper class where good coffee is attainable.  With the help of the Internet and my guide book I was always on the look out for these establishments….what can I say?  I love coffee and not NESCAFE!!!  Nescafe is an abomination and should not be called coffee.  It is disgusting and vile and anyone who drinks it is a souless inbred with the taste buds suited for cardboard.   I call for a Jihad on all Nescafe factories!   WHO IS WITH ME!!!!!!     Back to Darjeeling…due to inclement weather and my lack of enthusiasm for photographing clouds the pictures in this entry are seriously lacking.  The only time I got my camera out was when we visited the Tibetan Refugee center.   This center comprises a home for the aged, school, orphanage, clinic, Gompa and craft workshop.   Most people know about Tibet and how China is basically taking their land and erasing their culture but in reality what can anyone do against one of the most powerful countries in the world?  Is there a country where the majority has not unfairly dominated the minority?             The more I travel the more I find out about yet another grouping of people that are getting screwed by the local government….. Its not a racial thing it’s a human thing!  So yes its sad and unfair but this is how life goes… maybe I would be more enraged if I  was not speaking from the point of view of  the majority whose “people” have done the exact thing China is doing….  I guess in a since it is more irking because with so much documented history of all these transgression we humans continue to make the same mistakes..    Walking around the Refugee Center did open my eyes more to the cultural genocide that is going on in Tibet.  On the other hand,  Tibet is extremely lucky that India has recognized the problem and  has given them a home where they can live freely.  What other country has done this?   The Tibetans even get to live in the same mountain range… I would say in the grand scheme of minorities peoples getting the shaft from big governments, Tibet got lucky!  This however does not excuse the Chinese governments action.  I think India does not get enough global thanks for giving the Tibetan  people a home in exile.  THANKS INDIA!
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/hildreth75/asia/1248352318/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/hildreth75/asia/1248352318/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/hildreth75/asia/1248352318/tpod.html Wed, 29 Jul 2009 22:01:29 -0400 Move or die...

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Bodh Gaya, Bihar, India

We stopped in Bodhigaya for two reason: the first was to break up the long haul to Darjeeling and second was to see the spot where Buddha attained enlightenment.  It was here, 26 centuries ago, that Prince Sidartha attained enlightenment under the Bodhi tree.  It also just so happens that Bodhigaya is located in the state of Bihar - one of India’s poorest and most troubled regions.  This area is wracked by widespread government corruption, sporadic intercaste warfare, kidnappings, extortion, banditry and violence.  It remains one of the least literate and most lawless parts of India.   The extreme lawlessness of the area makes buses and private cars targets for bandits.  Knowing about this ahead of time we had our game faces on, but did not really encounter anything serious except an increase in staring and random cars loaded with men armed to the teeth.    There is not much to this town. It mainly consist of the Mahabodi temple that surrounds the holy bodhi tree where Buddha formulated his philosophy of life.  During one of the many raids of the area the tree was destroyed, though not before a sapling of the tree was taken to Anaradhapra, Sri Lanka ( I just missed seeing it in Sri Lanka by one bus stop).  That tree continues to flourish, and a sapling of that tree was brought back to Bodhigaya and replanted on its original spot.     Pretty much any country with a Buddhist population has its own Temple here and I was looking forward to comparing and contrasting the difference between each temple.  Our first day involved checking out the tree and trying to tactfully take some leaves without causing a fuss.  I did find some nice healthy ones on the ground.  Now I have 2 Holy leaves… the Bodhi tree and some leaves from the burning bush in Egypt….(I lost both of them)  but that’s not the point.. That fact is that I had both at one point and that makes me cooler than you…….anyfart…after checking out the tree we went to a pond where Buddha spent his 6th week meditating and got caught in rain story. As the legend goes, the animals in the pond got out and shielded him from the weather…from the looks of the statue it turned out to be a 15 foot cobra…Only the best for Buddha!   The pond itself was teeming with a type of carp that would literally go into a feeding frenzy every time anyone would throw in temple fish food…. Since Dave’s camera is water proof we decided to take some video footage of the feeding frenzy under the water….. The video was shit but the reactions of the locals was priceless when they saw us dipping his camera  into the water.    The next day we set out to check out all the different Buddhist temples before catching our bus/train/ jeep to Darjeeling.  Like normal we got up late, played some backgammon, ate a lazy breakfast, and were able to explore 2 temples before we had to check out of our room.  I can't remember which temples we saw but I do remember spinning a giant prayer wheel.  Outside of the temples, beggars would sit in rows and hold out their hands as we walked past.  Check out both videos as Dave tries to  weasel his way out of hell…. Where was I going with this…..oh yes…. I was on a mission to check out the Chinese, Burmese Thai, Nepali, Bhutanese, Vietnamese, Tamang, Japanese, and Indonesian temples so that I could see how the Buddhist cultures differed and rate their temples on a 5 star system… I was into this…only problem was that they close down from 12 to 2.  It just so happened to be 12 and our bus took off at 2 so I was shit out of luck!  I  would not say I was furious because I have seen enough temples to last a lifetime but it was part of the reason for coming.   Not wanting to waste my precious two hours, I ended up taking a photo of the 25 meter high Buddha (made by melting down 20,000 bronze Buddha’s) and the Thai temple through the closed gates…I would say better luck next time but why the hell would I come back here?….oh well…I’m sure Buddha forgives me…as long as I’m wearing pants and not pointing my feet at him….. Off to the Indian highlands to drink some tea in Darjeeling!   
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/hildreth75/asia/1243506780/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/hildreth75/asia/1243506780/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/hildreth75/asia/1243506780/tpod.html Fri, 24 Jul 2009 21:46:22 -0400 Move or die...

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Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, India

Getting to Varanasi was one of the most uncomfortable 24 hours I've had yet!  It could have been so much smoother had we planned ahead...... Only problem is that we left all the travel details to the last second.  The train would have been our first choice because all that is involved is getting on ...taking some sleeping pills and waking up at our desired destination.  Our second choice would have been a sleeper bus which is basically beds on a bus which.....slightly less comfortable than the train but still does the trick.  Our third choice would have been a bus with seats that recline ever so slightly so that some sleep could be attained.  What we ended up getting was a Government bus with no space for legs and a seat that was locked at 90 degrees.  Now factor in a night bus that took 16 hours (supposed to be 12) and the location of our seat (right by the driver) who honked the horn like a 6 year old hopped up on red bull.  Of course I blame all this on Hooper who had to fly out in 3 days and decided that this travel schedule suited his needs the best!  The kick in the balls is that after all of this we were only half way to our destination!   Dave and Hooper did manage to get some sleep, but I decided to stay up all night watching the entire season of Prison Break on my Itouch plus... I knew I would never be able to sleep at that 90 angle.       Now to address an issue that has happened on most of our bus journeys that is simply infuriating...   I have not spoken of it before because it happens so often that I have accepted it as part of traveling in India.  However, this one particular time since I was on a 16 hour bus ride, it really chapped my ass!  This is the phenomena I have dubbed as an Idiot Jam.  Indians love to pass each other on the road at all cost...uphill, blind corner, not enough speed...it does not matter they will pass hell or high-water...the only problem is that when the entire country is doing this sooner or later they run out of road.  The Indiots (Half Indian half Idiot..run them together) then use what ever drivable space is left on the sides...when this fills up, traffic comes to a stand still in that particular spot...oh but wait the Indiots in back with smaller vehicles (ie compact cars, motorcycles, tuk tuks) try and sneak around and go through the cracks...this procedure is done in both lanes of traffic until finally there is a Idiot Jam miles long with absolutely no place to to go.  It is impossible to back up because the guy behind is boxed in for miles.  The only solution is to go miles back to where cars can actually back up and start the whole process....The police try to help by banging on vehicles with bamboo like they were cows but since cars are not cows this rarely works....  If people would just stay in their lanes none of this would happen and traffic would flow so much smoother but then of course that makes sense and therefore would not be very Indian.... So to make a long rant short...this particular Idiot Jam added 4 hours to our trip....The people are so used to these Jams that all the traffic just turns off their motors and wait for something to happen.  I actually walked around the massive jam and could see the actual line where the northbound traffic and southbound traffic were parked directly in-front of each other in a silent standoff.   Truckers simply curl up and go sound to sleep in the middle of the road.  Tee blaring of horns is their cue to wake up and get going.        After 16 hours on the bus with no sleep, we were only half way to Varanasi.  I was dying to get some shut eye.  We arrived in the random town of Lucknow, sleep deprived and on our last nerve......Luckily we were able to book a first class, air con, reclining seat Volvo bus and slept blissfully all 10 hours to Varanasi...after riding that government bus we were in heaven.(Now for some Dave MccPune)    We are in Varanasi right now.   It is one of the most holy sites in India.   This is where pilgrims come to wash in the Ganges.   Also, this is the most auspicious place to die for Hindus as they believe it will break the cycle of reincarnation and free them to their version of nirvana.  It is pretty sobering to watch bodies be burned... actually watch the cremations.   The bodies are placed on a stack of wood, then more wood is piled on top...depending on how rich you are.   Arms, heads, and legs are poking out of the burning pile, so men come by with huge bamboo poles and break the bones so they can fold the body back into the flames.    They also turn the torso over to burn both sides and you can see the exposed skull and vertebrae in the poorer bodies.   Then the ashes are just dumped into the river.  Some bodies don't even get a fire. They are just tied to a rock and sunk in the river... the same river people are swimming and drinking in.    Little boys are even diving to the bottom to get the jewelry off the burned up bodies.    Fuckin crazy!    It has such a sense of finality it makes me never want anybody I know to die.   A visual ashes to ashes.   Utter proof they are gone forever. Thats it for Dave, now I'm going to be taking over in order to drop some knowledge on your dome piece......  Varanasi is a holy city in Hinduism, being one of the most sacred pilgrimage places for Hindus of all denominations. More than 1,000,000 pilgrims visit the city each year.  Varanasi is one of the holiest places in Buddhism too, being one of the four pilgrimage sites said to have been designated by Gautama Buddha himself.  The spiritual and religious significance could be compared to what the Nile river meant to the ancient Egyptians. While the Ganges may be considered holy, it could not be more polluted. It is filled with chemical wastes, sewage and even the remains of human and animal corpses which carry major health risks by either direct bathing in the dirty water or by drinking.      I had read about how dirty the Ganges was before I got to Varanasi, and I thought that everyone knew that it was foul..... but for some reason not a single Indian there had received the memo.  The religious pilgrims drink the water!  They have organized swimming lessons for children.... the river is simply filled with people frolicking in the filth and they are all fine!  I even was told by the locals that the river only makes you sick if you think it will...basically it came down to mental toughness....     I had read in the Economist the following about the Ganges....  "To know why 1,000 Indian children die of diarrheal sickness every day, take a wary stroll along the Ganges in Varanasi. As it enters the city, Hinduism’s sacred river contains 60,000 fecal coliform bacteria per 100 milliliters, 120 times more than is considered safe for bathing. Four miles downstream, with inputs from 24 gushing sewers and 60,000 pilgrim-bathers, the concentration is 3,000 times over the safety limit. In places, the Ganges becomes black and septic. Corpses, of semi-cremated adults or enshrouded babies, drift slowly by. " Crazy eh?  But despite this filth a Ganges Dolphin exists. Just like the pilgrims who drink and swim in the waters the dolphins have adapted too!  These guys are blind and rely solely on echo-location to get around.  They are endangered due to fishing nets, pollution, poaching and dams.  It's amazing there are any left at all!Hooper caught a train the next day back to Delhi leaving me and Dave to sweat it out.  The temperature during this time of year was lethal....  We spent our time here roaming around the river Wats, teasing a small white dog outside our hotel, exploring all the nooks of crannies of one of the oldest continually inhabited cities in the world and trying not to step in giant mounds of cow shit.   Dave was terrible at avoiding these steaming piles and due to his poor choice of sandals (Chaos) he often ended up with cow shit between his toes....Keens are the way to go by they way...     Every night at many of the river Wats there was a nightly Puja where holy men would do some sort of ceremony to the setting sun... These Puja's would draw major crowds along with children trying to sell floating candles.  It was interesting to watch all the hullabaloo but, just like with all religions, it got boring fast.    There is so much to see along the banks of the Ganges...  Sadus begging for money,  children playing cricket, funeral processions leading to funeral fires, water buffalo wallowing in the mud...Hindu pilgrims getting their heads shaved, holy men performing Puja, pilgrims bathing, men offering boat rides or hash every 30 seconds...It's life on the Ganges and no matter how gritty or annoying I found it, I could not have been more pleased.     
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/hildreth75/asia/1243137600/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/hildreth75/asia/1243137600/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/hildreth75/asia/1243137600/tpod.html Wed, 22 Jul 2009 09:45:13 -0400 Move or die...

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Delhi, India

    We only came back to Deli to hash before heading out to Varanasi before Hoops had to take off for Africa. The last Deli hash was soo fun and being Hoops virgin hash we decided to give the kennel a second appearance.  It was also the birthday of one of the sabertooths we met a month before and all three of us liked the sound of that. But first the hash.    The hares told us the trail “didn’t have too much shiggy, but it was a little shitty.”What they should have told us was we were about to run thru possibly the most revolting terrain of any hash world wide to date. Slums and poo fields.  Fresh, human shit.  There was trail on old poo, fresh poo on paper, action poo shots, even a poo waterfall. At one point, the trail was sooo steep, we were forced to jump down and land in, on, or around poo, then climb back up a garbage heap/poo debris field and keep running….. Again, I cant do this hash justice and keep this entry brief, so I will leave it up to Ben to let the photos say the thousand shitty words. After the hash, we went home, hit the showers--HARD--had a few pre-party cocktails, and went to the birthday party.        This was Sara’s party, and we were more than up to filling the bill of “Crazy American Backpackers.”  Well, Ben and I were up to it...Hooper, he just sat in the corner and went home early.  Truly, this is becoming a depressing trend with this lad.  I mean, he is all about partying, but as of late, he seems to drink too much too fast, and then simply disappear.  Maybe, its the shattered romantic life or all the responsibilities waiting for him back in the real world, but he really needs to learn to lighten up.  Live for today!  I mean, who knows when you will be deported and the life you are soo concerned with at home may be all but a thing of the past.    (This is for-shadowing, so pay attention.)  The point is—HOOPER—don't let today pass you by while you are busy planning for tomorrow.    Instead, party like a rock star.  Dance with married women.  Get slapped for arbitrarily putting your hands too low during that dance.  Take belly button photos with consulate workers.    Pay 50 bucks for all you can drink at the swankiest hotel in town and get cut off.  Hell, you may even want to jump over the bar after being cut off, steal a hundred dollar bottle of champagne, try miserably to conceal the bottle in you trousers as you run out the back door of the five star hotel, jump in an auto rickshaw, open, swig from, and then throw down the undrunk bottle in the express way.   Who knows?  Its your life.  But for god sakes live it.  Don't worry about consequence.  Deal with them when they arise.  Say, the next morning, when the birthday girl wakes you up with eggs, bacon, sausage, ham, fresh coffee, and..................mimosas.   Just play it off like nothing happened.  Pretend you didn’t try to crash in the wrong bed, make no mention of ANY champagne, and for god sakes, EAT THE MEAT.  You might just be beginning the worst 48 travel hours of your life.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/hildreth75/asia/1242878400/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/hildreth75/asia/1242878400/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/hildreth75/asia/1242878400/tpod.html Sat, 18 Jul 2009 11:31:11 -0400 Move or die...

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Chandigarh, India

(Written by Dave the pot shot taking McPune)        So we left Manali in the hope of making it to Chandagar just in time for the weekend parties. Chandagar is a city built and planned entirely by a European…so it makes sense. The street traffic flows, addresses go in a logical order, there are sidewalks, sewers, and even public squares. They say it doesn’t feel like India, but thanks to the honking, rickshaws, wandering livestock, and price gouging, you still know you are in the subcontinent. The price gouging hit us first. At like, 5 in the morning.  After scouring the town for a place that would actually LET foreigners sleep in their establishment, we checked into what would be the most expensive room of the entire trip---almost forty bucks---for a swamp cooler and one bed. I think Dan was on the floor this time, but I don't really remember because the nuggets were on, and it was one of the two games they beat the lakers. Ben slept thru the whole thing and still thinks the nuggets suck. But that doesn’t change the fact that the hotel screwed us royally. So, before leaving, when they let us use a different room to shower, I made sure we laid some heavy karma back on their heads. (I don't believe in karma, and you wont believe what I did, so I wont even recount it…but lets just say if you know me at all, this might even stretch the limits of what you think I am already capable of…and for their part, Ben and Dan are neither aware nor to blame for my actions.)    We napped and got out of bed around noon to go check out the only sight in town…a rock garden made entirely out of recycled pieces of trash. On the way there, we all three crammed into a bike rickshaw and ate ice cream with cold drinks while encouraging out driver to pedal faster. Go America!      The rock Garden was pretty sweet, but you can check the photos below for that. What was sweeter was being told later that evening that we couldn't’t play Frisbee in the park. No games, no music, no sitting in the grass, NO FUN. When the guard came over to make us quit throwing the Frisbee, I showed him how to throw it and asked him if he wanted to try. He said no. Of course, I persisted as usual, being a dick and making others feel uncomfortable. Eventually, I got him to give it a toss and the mocking began. I mean, what self respecting guard can rightfully kick us out of a park for playing Frisbee when HE WAS THROWING THE DAMN THING TOO!!!  I didn’t push the point…but the point was made. Go America.     We left the park to go get more beer. See, there was no open drinking of alcohol allowed in the park either. So, like I said, we finished our beers and left the park. We finally managed to get into a truly local bar. Behind many bottle shops in India, there are bars that will let you sit down and drink what you buy up front. They have snacks, music, tele, and will even go up front and get you more drinks when you finish what you have. They even charge us the same price as the locals!! Crazy. We sampled most dished on the menu, drank horrible tasting strong beer (on a side note, when in India, stay away from any beer with numbers in the name, like Haywood's 5000) and decided to go home, shower up ( I Defiled the afore mentioned room), and hit what was meant to be the best nightlife north of Bombay.     By now, myself and Dan command respect thanks to our thick, dense, glorious facial hair. Ben….well, Ben could take all the hair on his body, shave it, throw it in a pile, and…….(Ben here, since this is my travelpod I'm going to have to edit this... Dave mocks me because I lack a pot belly and a head full of gray hairs)      There was only one bar worth a shit open in the entire town.  And it was a Gay bar.  And Ben was a smashing hit. I swear to god, I thought this one Sikh man was going to take off his turban, tie Ben up, and steal him away into the night. I cant be sure on this one, but I think it was the fledgling chin carpet Ben loves to sport. If the hair below your lower lip is called a flavorsaver, or a soul patch, then what is it called when you only have hair on the tip of you chin? The only thing that comes to mind is those brushes inside that little pump thing golfers use to scrub their balls at the tee box. What are those ball scrubbing brushes called?? Sorry, I'm losing the point again.  (Ben here,  Dave just loves these pot shots.... normally Dave is the star at the gay clubs...for example..a gay club in Denver...where he pulled his shirt up to expose a nipple on the dance floor while seductively biting his lip....he thought no one saw........)(Back to Dave)Chandagar…………Rockgarden…expensive accommodation…great thali…gay bar…ball scrubbing chin hair.  Yup, that about sums it up.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/hildreth75/asia/1242203820/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/hildreth75/asia/1242203820/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/hildreth75/asia/1242203820/tpod.html Fri, 17 Jul 2009 08:51:15 -0400 Move or die...

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Manali, Himachal Pradesh, India

  (Written by Skinny McPotBelly....aka Dave MccPune)We seem to have a knack for picking the worst buses in India.  Or at least making our trips as uncomfortable as possible.  The journey to manali would prove no different. In fact, we nearly skipped Manali after hearing a few bad reviews from some other travelers. Luckily we went, and found a great place to relax, unwind, and for Ben...shit himself crazy.    As i metioned, the bus ride was particularly painful.  It was a minibus, and the three of us...being significantly larger than any other person in the bus, were assigned the three smallest seats...just behind the driver and the screaming baby.  Ben, in an unlikely turn if fate, was awarded with the only FULLY reclining seat in the whole bus.  With a little pharmaceutical help, he slept like a baby.  Better than the screaming baby actually....  Hooper and i were left to balance precariously atop our three-quarter size seats and sway ever so genty with the careening vehicle.  Luckily, we took a pot hole ridden, winding mountain road, so we never even felt the gentle caress of sleep.  (By the way,  Ben moans, and drools in his sleep.)-- (Ben here, the fact that Dave watches me while I sleep is very creepy)    We got to Manali just in time to check in and go back to sleep. it was my turn to sleep on the floor matress, so Ben and Hooper cuddled up under their shared blanket for warmth.       Manali seemed to strike a fancy with us, and we ended up spending several days here.  The first day was spent on a leisurly hike thru mountain apple and cherry orchards, and trying to decide which onezie-funzie was the coolest.  See, this is where most of india comes to go skiing, and the fashion trends are decidedly stuck in the early 80's.  Manali is divided into two halves sprawling up separate sides of a valley, divided by an uncrossable river.  In an oversight, we missed the last possible ride back across and were forced to walk the 6km back to our accomodation.  That night, we arranged to meet back up with a few English girls, one of whom was celebrating her birthday...or going home day...or something.  who cares, it was a chance to relax and have a few beers without rushing home.  Big mistake. See, the party was back across the river--late at night--and we neglected to arrange an after hours ride home.  We drank some whiskey, and some beer, and some local rum, ate some "Mutton Faheetas" and partied with a man who had no legs.  Then we walked the 6km home...again.  Hooper, in true hooper fashion, drank too much and spent the entire hour and a half walk screaming at his speakers for not working..."Fuckin' 'ell!"     The main reason for coming to Manali was to see the Mela festival, where the town is supposed to celebrate by sacrificing live animals and then eating them.  For three days we tried at all the temples to see anything even close to a sacrifice but all we ever saw was the slowest, lamest dancing and this crazy trapeeze act by a little girl. We were also told that this is the area that the locals in Goa visit when the monsoons closes the harvest Manli's famous hash.  The parties are supposed to be great.  We spent an entire night walking around the mountains only to find a tiny party at a random house and a Korean tourist with his local boytoy eating momos.      So me and hooper went snowboarding.  We booked a three day trip into the himilayas, missed a ride back to to our side of the valley (AGAIN) and hoped for the best. On the morning of departure, we woke to find Ben presenting EVERY SIGN of malaria.  We ordered him fruit salad, wished him well and went riding.  When we returned three days later, we were astonished to find him still alive.  In those three days, Ben--as usual--shat himself senseless, was dragged to the doctor by some Israelis, was medicated, and returned home...all for less than three bucks.  Apparently Ben "had a fever, and the only prescription was more cowbell."   This is pretty much standard travel procedure for Ben by now.  This is his second major bout with anal furry in just four short months. He is actually getting sick again as i write this, but i wont go into detail.  For a more in depth explanation of his overall maladay, see his entries on turkey, or honduras, or south america, or southeast asia, or any where this weak stomached, sickness prone man has traveled.  (Ben here, Dave is a bitter bitter man and likes to take pot shots at me when ever possible....let the games begin!)So, Ben, who can't snowboard (Due to ACL surgery), missed nothing while hooper and i were gone.  And hooper and i only missed ben having a really shitty time while we were gone.  On a quick side note, while Dan and i were on our man date in the mountains, ben officially droped out of the facial hair contest by shaving his moustache and opting for the "chin carpet" he is so fond of.  Just check his profile photo on his travelpod homepage. So its off to Chandagar, the most modern and well planned city in India, to party for the weekend.  
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/hildreth75/asia/1242117360/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/hildreth75/asia/1242117360/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/hildreth75/asia/1242117360/tpod.html Sun, 28 Jun 2009 05:08:39 -0400 Move or die...

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Dharamsala, Himachal Pradesh, India

(Written by Dave)   We finally dragged ourselves away from the free food of the golden palace and headed north.  A week in the desert was more than enough so we fast tracked it the Himalayas for cooler temperatures and mountain treks.  Mcleod Ganj is just north of Dharmsala, the acting center of government for Tibet in refuge.  Mcleod itself is home to the holiest temple of Tibetan Buddhism and the official residence of his holiness, the Dali Lama.  It was a bit of an effort, but train/bus schedules seemed to work out just right, and we made it here in one day.  In fact we made it in time to catch the bottle shop before it closed.  We ended up getting  "Cottage" of sorts and split it with a couple of girls from Iceland we met on the bus.  Between the five of us, the rum didn't stand a chance, and soon enough the wigs came out and Hooper passed out.      Next morning, Ben, Hoop and I ate a lazy breakfast before deciding to trek the 8 miles to a local lookout for Himalayan views. Thanks to the portable speakers and a little Jamiroqui, we soon became famous with a small group of English trekkers.  We educated them on the finer points of Flight of the Concords and business time.  Back in town, we picked up anther bottle, finished it, and promptly passed out.    Our third day was basically a lazy day.  Some Frisbee with a few local kids, random wandering around town, and some pastries.  That evening however, we ran into two couples Ben had met in other areas of India.(Roi and Liora/Israelis and an Aussie couple)  We all walked to a neighboring town (with the reddest eyed man in town) for a change of scenery and to get some dinner.  It was election time, so no place in mcleod was serving beer.  (Something about wanting the voters to be sober...glad America has no such qualms!!)  So we went to Baghsu and found a few cold beers.  One of the Aussie girls over ordered and offered up the left overs of her chicken schnitzel, Ben and Dan were unfortunately vegetarian.  I think I finished the rest in two bites!    Day four was filled by a visit to the holy temple, a painfully slow harvest/fire ceremony, some slapping monks, and a trip around the Dali Lama's residence.  Hooper was obsessed with getting some prayer flags but had a hard time finding a shop that sold any. Ben on the other hand, just stole  a prayer flag from the Dali Lama's garden.  "But it was already on the ground, dude!"   Yeah, tell that to karma.(Ben here... I did not steal prayer flags!!!!  If anyone has to worry about Karma it's Dave!)
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