TravelStream™ news feed for member horizon_chaser on TravelPod's free travel blogs service http://www.travelpod.com/syndication/rss/horizon_chaser en-us Copyright ©2009 TravelPod.com Sat, 23 May 2009 21:50:55 -0400 http://www.travelpod.com http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/horizon_chaser/17/1243129740/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/horizon_chaser/17/1243129740/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/horizon_chaser/17/1243129740/tpod.html Sat, 23 May 2009 21:50:55 -0400 The Adventures of Tin Tin in the Azores

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Terceira, Azores, Portugal

oh my god, will this guy ever shut up?  granted, it was novel and even beautiful at first but at hour 5 is a bit annoying especially as i had just drifted off in what had to be one of the most uncomfortable positions i have yet to be in.  the waves bobbing our ferry around lulled me into a fitful rest (much needed after moo's marathon snoring sessions) and i had exhausted the good sleeping positions on the floor so now i was on the seats shoving my body into 3 segmented seats and somehow conning myself into a short lived but much deserved nap. but this dude.  this little drunk dude in a plaid shirt is singing again.  his voice is high and penetrating and he seems to know every portuguese song ever recorded.  when he started singing as we left the dock, me and moo smiled and enjoyed it.  what a character, what a great voice, what a lovely diversion from a dull 6 hour ride.  and so he sang.  and sang.maybe his buddies were plying him with booze, maybe he needed no liquid encouragement, so on and on he sang.  and sang...he left the area for a while though because i slept for a bit but now he sings again and the rest of the passengers i fear will mutiny.   as we dock in Terceira he sings one last burst and the crowd laughs and claps a bit but mostly we snicker to each other about how crazy this dude is.  language is not needed in these situations, we all understand each other perfectly.I had been calling our new friend Ken since we knew when we were going to Terceira.  he never answered and we were pretty bummed as ken was super cool and really smart and he lived here on the island.  we met ken at the boston airport in the security line.  he's american but he's lived in terceira for 3 years with his very large family.  he does some kind of work out here but has his hand in just about everything AND he's a major Knights Templar buff.  i dabble a bit in that history so we have a bit in common.  that and his home sits on a crumbled fort site that dates back to the 1500's and he's found some old coins there so i want to dig up his yard.after staying the night in a not so nice hostel, we pack up, rent another car (manual transmission again) and head out to see another part of the island.  it takes maybe an hour to drive around the island and we find a great little seaside town called Praia da Vitoria, check into the swankiest place in town and ring ken one more time.  this time he picks up and he says, "where are you?"   "we're in praia, where are you?"  "stay there, i'm coming to get you"he meets us in 10 minutes and says that his horse is getting saddled up, he's taking us on a carriage ride to show us the sights.  SWEET!  he takes the keys to our car (he has NO idea how happy that has made me) and we make our way to his house where the carriage is.  the driver is so cool looking with his tweed hat and wellies and the carriage is goooorgeous.  we stumble in and ramble off to see some old forts and the beach.  there's a lot of history here in the islands and most of the juicy stuff is Templar related.  some of the templars came here when they were persecuted by various kings and the catholic church and they flourished here.  the streets are inlaid with templar crosses and there are mini churches next to the big catholic ones where they practice the templar version of catholicism.  also, there are festivals and traditions that are only practiced here that come from templar traditions, like the guarding of crowns by certain townsfolk.  it's fascinating and ken has made a study of all this so he is unbearably intriguing to talk to.  after the carriage ride, we meet his family and he takes us to different churches, mini churches and even takes me into a home where they are holding the crowns.  it's incredible and ancient and opaque and i need to know more about it!  as the day and our trip draws to a close we realize that one of the best days of our trip came out of no where, a chance meeting with a stranger, a call picked up, and trust placed in someone we had no reason to.  this is one of the best things about traveling to me.  giving yourself over to perfect strangers and trusting that they will not only take care of you but enrich your life in ways you could not guess.  me and moo had a fantastic time, we ate (mostly crappy food), we drove (ummm, not so well), and we got to be together.  and that was truly wonderful, just to share the experience with someone you love, that is a part of you literally and figuratively.  now we just have to figure out where to go next...to see pix from the trip go to:http://gallery.me.com/tin100tin#100140love,tin tin
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/horizon_chaser/17/1242640380/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/horizon_chaser/17/1242640380/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/horizon_chaser/17/1242640380/tpod.html Mon, 18 May 2009 05:53:55 -0400 The Adventures of Tin Tin in the Azores

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sao miguel, Azores, Portugal

aaaah, the fresh air...  how will my lungs ever adjust to all the smog back home??these past few days and next few have been engulfed in a huge catholicfestval.  something about jesus cristo do milagro, but don´t hold me tothat!  yesterday was the big blowout with a 5 hour long processionaround town with the bishop and all his minions following a massiveflower covered statue of jesus around town.  the pathway was laid witha carpet of greenery and brightly colored woodshavings and flowers thatformed all kinds of patterns for the entire length of the procession. it was well over 2 miles long and throngs of faithful lined the cobbledstreets.  we waited for about 2 hours for it to start as we wanted toget a good view of it all, and thankful that we did because masses ofpeople came from nowhere and took up every available place in the mainplaza where we were.  when it started a line of about 500 men led theway with red gowns covering their best suits, then followed by 5 or 6different bands all taking turns playing.  i have to say that the musicsounded a lot like the kind of music i used to hear at octoberfest atbusch gardens and the beer was flowing freer than an english stagparty!   catholics suuuure like thier drink with thier devotion!   butanyhoo, after the bands all passed, the bishop (totally cool, neverseen a live bishop before, or a dead one come to think of it) slowlywalked leading the way of all the priests and other high rankingmembers of the church.   he was very old and i can´t imagine how hewalked all that way in the hot sun without passing out.  that in itselfwas a small miracle.  then came the bearers that held this massivestatue aloft.  the casing was enshrouded with flowers and smoky withincense and everyone watched in awe as he passed.  it was really alovely sight, but tiring and me and moo tucked in for a bit of a restbefore the nightime festivities.  along the way i saw a couple of guys setting up a shot with a camera ona tripod.  as i pass one of them starts speaking to me in portugueseand when i say i don´t speak the language, he pipes up in english thathe´s from brasil covering the festivities and would i mind giving myviews of the day on camera.  how come i always find a film crew?  insamoa, in korea, everywhere it seems they find me.  my mom said that itused to be the same way with drummers and its very true!  i told himthat there was no way in hell i was getting in front of a camera!   ibecome insta-retard and brasil does not need to be subjected to that. very interesting none-the-less...at night the plaza was lit to the hilt with a million bulbs formingcrosses and patterns and lighting up the night like the vegas strip. people milling about, dressed in thier nice dresses and scarfing downbeer and cigarettes.  maybe i should convert, seems like quite theparty being catholic!a few days ago in madiera we went on a whale and dolphin watchingexcursion.  needless to say we saw none of either but it was a lovelyboat trip along the coast anyway.  at the bar on the boat there was asign saying in many different languages "thank you" with the flag nextto it, norwegian, british, swedish, german, etc.  my mom says, "i can´tbelive that they don´t have the american flag on there! that´shorrible".  i look and see the british flag with "thank you" next toit.  i look at her and say, "there´s a reason they call it english, youknow."  she laughs heartily and tries to subtly remove my hand from thepringles jar thinking i won´t notice in my merriment.  i play alongonly to remove my hand and let her dig into the very empty jar.  HA!  madiera was lovely and there was quite a bit to do there.  we rode thecable car straight up the hill to the town of monte and took theobligitory wicker toboggan down for a kilometer.  that was dead fun!  2guys push the 2 seater toboggan down a very steep public street astaxis and other cars whiz by.  they take corners like andretti and comeclose to stone walls only to veer quickly from them.  the wholeexperience was really fun and moo about pissed her pants as we roundedcurves.  i´ll try to post the video on facebook when i get back!  today we head to terciera which is another island in the azores.  wetake the ferry over then fly back to come home in 3 days.  the food isless than spectacular here and when i get home i´m gonna eat all thespicy food i can shove down my gullet!!!love,tin tin
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/horizon_chaser/17/1242208140/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/horizon_chaser/17/1242208140/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/horizon_chaser/17/1242208140/tpod.html Wed, 13 May 2009 05:54:43 -0400 The Adventures of Tin Tin in the Azores

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Horta, Azores, Portugal

when we stopped there was a really pungent burning smell.  like someone had, only moments earlier, laid a freeway beneath our feet.  me and moo look at each other, look around the car for flames or melted material.  upon getting back in the car we see that the emergency brake was up.  so THAT´S what that light meant!i have decided to leap into the void and ask my mother to travel with me for 2 weeks in the azores.  for those who ask, «where the hell is that?» i say, it´s in the atlantic ocean 900 miles from philadelphia and about 500 from portugal (or something like that).  it´s portuguese but most people here speak english and everyone has a brother or sister in new england or oakland, ca.  traveling with moo is actually quite fun.  i´m saying this because i know she will be reading this!  but it actually is.  she tries to speak the language, will walk as long as she can, and can drive a stick shift.  well, kind of...right now we are on faial staying in a private home of a woman who speaks only portuguese and french.  my french is as rusty as a medieval sword buried for millenia and then some.  that is to say, i barely speak it.   but i make myself understood by a combination of body movements and poorly pronounced french and she is patient so it all works out!  me and moo decide to walk around the very small main town and rent a car.  now, we rented a car on são miguel when we first got to the azores but this island is a lot more hilly.  moo hasn´t driven a stick in nigh on 40 years so this will be quite the test of memory (of which is sadly lacking on all other accounts).  we get into the car, i am the navigator (compass tattoo seems not to work when i need it to), and we take off up some very steep winding roads into the countryside to see the crater of a volcano.  now, these islands are all volcanic so there´s a crater on every island to see!  it´s super cool and the islands are surprisingly verdant.back to the roads...  as we slowly climb to the top of a viewpoint, we pull over and that´s when the smell hits us.  we have been driving for about 20 minutes uphill with the handbrake on.  we have not bought the insurance because we have faith in god that we will not need it.  actually we are too cheap to buy it because it´s super pricy and everyone knows what a cheap bitch i am.   there is a hill pointed down in front of us and it´s a good a time as any to see if we have utterly destroyed the brakes.  apparently we haven´t and we open the windows and put wild mint in the car to get rid of the smell and coast into the unknown towards the volcano.moo isn´t too good with downshifting or backing out on a hill.  we have many close calls with other drivers but we don´t hit anyone.  i did have to get out of the car at one point and ask someone if they would back the car out for us because we were too stuck to even attempt a reverse.  anyhoo, we reach the caldeira (crater) and it´s miraculously clear and gorgeous so we can see even the birds on the little pools of water that has formed in the still active volcano.  the sides are green and the crater is very deep.  not at all like what i thought it would look like.  it seems we have one of the incredibly rare clear days and we can see forever.  we can see to the next island of pico and the tippy top of the massive volcano there that dwarfs the one we are on.  most of the volcanos are still active here and in 1957 there was a major eruption that evacuated all on the island and that is how a lot of azoreans ended up in america.  são miguel was lovely and we are going back there near the end of the trip to participate in a catholic festival that is the biggest of the year.  i think it´s the ascention but i´m not sure.  lots of nighttime processions and moo is very happy because she gets to drink all the blackberry liquer she bought.  sounds like maneschevitz but it´s actually home brewed and suuuper yummy!   today we head to madeira which is a portuguese island closer to africa than portugal.  it´s another tick on my list so i don´t want to miss it even though the azores are amazing, untouched and untouristed.  madiera is supposed to be pretty touristy but it should be an interesting change from here.   whatever, it´s all traveling and fun to me and moo!   we are having a ball and getting along famously.  i may just take her someplace else if she keeps behaving!!  love to you all and please pray to the manual trasmission gods that we continue our mediocre luck!  good luck would be amazing but mediocre i can live with too!much love,tin tin
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/horizon_chaser/16/1233488400/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/horizon_chaser/16/1233488400/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/horizon_chaser/16/1233488400/tpod.html Sun, 01 Feb 2009 06:35:49 -0500 The Adventures of Tin Tin in Southern India

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Havelock Island, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, India

when i last left you i was fed up and needed respite from the barrage of absurdity that is india.  i definitely found it in the andaman islands.  but it took me to another level of absurdity in order to actually get there.  from mamallapuram i got an early assed taxi ride to the chennai airport and hopped aboard a flight to paradise.  as i looked out the window the water was clear turquoise with small islands ringed with white sand.  ahhhh!  when i arrived in port blair there was a separate immigration and a whole lotta forms to fill out all in triplicate.  indians have a form fetish and there needs to be a rehab for it cuz i think, like alcohol and drugs, it MUST destroy families and it's just not right.  once i clear immigration and agree to sign over my first born, i hustle myself out of the airport and fling myself into the mob of "madam!  madam!  taxi!  rickshaw!  MAAAADAAAAM!".  throwing myself at the mercy of the first driver i see, he takes me to a taxi and when i ask how much to the ferry he says "150 rupees" .  i flip and am like, "aaaaaw, hell no!".  he takes it down to 100 and as i am already halfway in the car i agree and we take off.  as we pick up speed he says, "150".  i grab the door handle and open the door while we're still moving and he yells "ok, 100!" .  come to find out it should have been only 40 becouse it's 2 kilometers.  bastard.  then he keeps saying, "tip madam, tip sister".  i hop out and ignore his persistence and lug my over filled backpack to the ferry station. this ferry will take me from port blair to havelock island which is where i'm headed.  luckily i see a ladies line and i stand there looking like i have done this at least a million times before.  i obviously don't succeed because the line nazi says i need to get the permit to get a ticket.  and the "line"  is the screaming pulsating mob to my right.  shit.  she looks after my gear while i fight a crowd of about 50 men, squeeze my way to the front and then wonder what it is i'm supposed to be doing now.  no one is behind the counter but people are yelling and shoving.  all of a sudden a woman comes out and starts screaming at a man in the crowd, the crowd surges, she goes away.  a man comes out with the countenance of a king and with him he carries a small sheaf of papers.  people start going batshit, the shoving is incredible.  it took me back to 1984 at the duran duran "7 and the ragged tiger" concert (remember kissy??) but i press on because this flimsy paper is the ticket to my ticket outta there!  he is very selective about who he gives them to.  he doesn't even look at me.  i yell and stretch my hands as far as i can, have a pleading look in my eyes, and all the while am wet to the core with my own sweat (and i'm sure others).  i can't be a pretty sight.  still he doesn't look at me.  the papers dissapear and i am left empty handed.  will there be more?  is that it?  why is this so freakin difficult? and have i lost at least 3 pounds in water weight from this ordeal?  please god, let it be so!  eventually another woman comes out with another sheaf and this time i'm prepared.  knowing the indian love of "baksheesh" or tipping i tuck a 100 rupee note in my palm and discreetly wave it towards the woman.  she looks at me like i have lost my mind.  oh god, i just tried to bribe a public official!  luckily she gave me the paper anyway and didn't take the bribe, shaking her head rightously.  100 is a bit of cash so i was suprised she didn't palm it, but whatevs, i got my ticket to my ticket and i stand back in line with the line nazi.  she is mid yell with a lady who is trying to cut the cue.  head wobbling and fire in her eyes i cannot tell what she is saying but is sounds like a curse upon the line cutters family.  wow.  as i wait even more sweat accumulates on my flesh, my skin and shirt have merged into one stinking form.  after shoving and pushing and elbows to the rib i finally get my ticket and hop on the ferry.  it is all so worth it when i see havelock approaching.  picturesque palm fringed sands.  ahhhh.  i met some new friends on the ferry and we all head off in search of our hotels and meet up that evening at 7 for cocktails.  havelock is bliss and i meet so many great people.  i have a new soulmate named layla who is from canada.  we have an awesome time together with her sister and the friends from the ferry.  next day is snorkle time and we see some great fish and i work diligently on my tan.  this place was heaven on earth, really.  the stars in the sky came out to play at night and it was silent with the exception of quarreling dogs.  the last day i rented a scooter and expored all the roads on the island.  not many but they took me thru a little jungle in the middle of the island and popped me out on the other side on a fabulous beach.  i was not happy to leave but after 4 nights of bliss i had to and now i'm in chennai sucking in the smog and watching my tan fade with every passing moment.  i leave tomorrow to start my arduous jouney home.  pix will be up in a week and you can all get violently jealous while i pine for better days...love to you all!tin tin
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/horizon_chaser/16/1232966760/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/horizon_chaser/16/1232966760/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/horizon_chaser/16/1232966760/tpod.html Mon, 26 Jan 2009 05:54:10 -0500 The Adventures of Tin Tin in Southern India

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Mamallapuram, Tamil Nadu, India

you can stop sniggering now, mother...love hate love hate love hate all in the same blink of an eye.  i woke up this morning early to catch the bus to mamallapuram and hopped in a rickshaw to deliver me to the bus station.  when the driver quotes his price it is twice what i paid before.  i guffaw and he tries to justify.  bullshit.  i'm so tired of being charge double i can hardly breathe.  i don't mind being charged a bit more, i'm a tourist, i have more money, i get it.  but this consistent overcharging and then how they brag about how good a deal i'm getting is getting really annoying.  i'm staring to get angry and it's not pretty.as i clamber onto the bus and sit in my "Lady's" seat (the ones in the front are for ladies traveling alone), i fume about the last transaction.  fucker didn't even have change for the 100 i gave him and he smacked his gum while watching my impotent rage build.  the bus took off in a cloud of petrol and loud honking and overly loud bollywood tunes.  the women in the other lady seats smile sweetly at me.  my gloom starts to lift.  as we barrel out of pondicherry, the countryside surrounds the bus and ox carts with oxen horns painted red and gold are passed in a chorus of our own kind of horn.  the loud kind.things are looking up...arriving in the small town i hop in another rickshaw and find a hotel.  they guy driving it is really friendly and i book a tour with him for later on.  mamallapuram is a town famous for rock carving and for it's ancient stone temples that are ornately carved with images of reclining vishnus and krishna romping with his gopis (he is well beloved because krishna is a prankster who banged a thousand gopis-milkmaids).  god i love this country so much i actually tear up.  so you see, the sleeve plucking by old women and small children ("madam, money please"), the joy in a child's eyes when you give them a pen (of all things), the smell of shit, the smell of incense, the glorious shopping, the infinite haggling, the "just looking madam, it's free" when they get super pissy when you buy nothing.  land of contrasts, land of extremes in one breath your opinion can change.  i love it, i hate it, i want to leave but then i want to stay forever.  but alas, tomorrow i will go to the andaman islands to get away from the hubbub and exhaust fumes for my head is exhausted and needs to be cleared.  this island idyll should be just what the doctor (ayurvedic, no less) ordered.looking forward to sushi, i dream of it but i will definitely miss my daily breakfast of idli and masala dosas...love to you,tin tin
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/horizon_chaser/16/1232447580/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/horizon_chaser/16/1232447580/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/horizon_chaser/16/1232447580/tpod.html Tue, 20 Jan 2009 05:34:57 -0500 The Adventures of Tin Tin in Southern India

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Kochi, Kerala, India

or am i supposed to kiss a frog?  didn't i kiss him last week???  oh well...i'm in cochin now which is a lovely old town with a lot of history.  a friend that i met on the bus from mysore and i have been staying at a wonderful guest house with our new parents.   they own the joint and it's the best place i have stayed in india so far.  we're trying to get them to adopt us but they don't seem to be too keen.  this morning we awoke at the crack-a-lack of dawn to cram our butts into a minivan so we could see a couple of elephants being washed.  i really wonder who thought, "hey, let's get tourists to pay to watch an elephant being bathed in the river".  but it was really beautiful by the river and the weather was cool so it was a good deal to us.  as the big elephant lumbered down the path she plodded into the water leaving prodigious piles of poo behind her.  she leisurely laid her body into the water as us honkeys snapped away with our cameras.  almost posing as she lifted her trunk up and rolled onto her back, her mahout got to work scrubbing her with a coconut husk and trimming her cuticles.  sooo not kidding about the cuticles, they take a knife and trim around her nails.  don't know why but it looked painful.  she was chill about it so i guess it wasn't so bad.  as she was getting her mani/pedi a baby came sauntering down and made his presence known by tooting his horn.  mind blowing how cute these animals are and how gentle!  after all the spa treatments (2 hours later) they came out of the water to have their photo shoots with all the tourists.  most gingerly made their way up to the creatures, cameras at the ready in thier friends hand so they can snap and dash back to safety.  well, you know me...  i head to the big mamma and stroke her trunk, sctatch her by her snout, and plant lots of kisses on her big head.  she was eyeing me, checking me out but i think she saw that i was gentle and only wanted to shower her in love and she tolerated me and turned her head towards me.  it was great, the way they appraise you with such intelligence.  i have seen them charge and go all aggro in videos but i can't imagine such a kind beast doing that.  somebody musta really pissed 'em off!  anyhoo, after a lot of lovin' they head off into the woods again.  before cochin i went to ooty and ate too much of thier famous chocolates.  there's not too much chocolate in this country and it's really taken a toll on my state of mind. i did my best to stock up there!  ooty was chilly (being a hill station) but quaint and when we left we took the famed miniature train out of there.  it goes by gorgous countryside, rice paddys, and waterfalls.  the train is crammed to the gills with locals and tourists and takes a whopping 3 1/2 hours to go a measly 28 kilometers.  painful it was but i was in good company so we made the best of it.  my ankle is healing well but slowly and within another week i'll be as good as new.  sending everyone lots of love!!!tin tin
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/horizon_chaser/16/1231917180/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/horizon_chaser/16/1231917180/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/horizon_chaser/16/1231917180/tpod.html Wed, 14 Jan 2009 02:14:50 -0500 The Adventures of Tin Tin in Southern India

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Mysore, Karnataka, India

having reached the age of 37 without ever having had a broken bone or sprained anything, the inevitable has happened.  the day after my grueling 17 hour bus ride from goa i awake early to greet the day in mysore.  mysore proves an apt name for what is about to befall me.  as i am making my way to the marketplace (and i SWEAR i was only gonna look, not BUY anything!) a wee street urchin latches on to me and asks for rupees.  knowing that if i do this a flood of children will pour from the crevices of the buildings and ask for some too, i plead poverty and continue to walk.  he follows with his big brown eyes and dirty little hands, he must be about 3 or 4 years old.  i feel like shit just walking away but i know from experience that the money very rarely goes to food for the kid.  it sometimes goes to parents with a drinking problem or for other nefarious needs.  so i never give money no matter what.  so still feeling like the poo that i see in the middle of the road i reach in my bag for a pen.  as i give the kid the pen, i turn back to focus on walking and i miss the curb and pothole in front of me and violently twist my ankle.  i heard a "pop" when this happened and i got a gash on the side of my foot.  trying to regain my composure quickly i walk a bit then realize that the gash in my foot could very easily get infected (what with the poo and everything) and my ankle is feeling no better with every step.  i get into an autorickshaw (loooove those things!) and hot foot it back to my hotel.  i treat the wound and hope for the best.  the best doesn't come and i find the doctor on gandhi square who says i have a fracture, he spins me onto my side and loads a needle with god knows what.  i say " jesus christ!"  he says, "very good, pray!".  he doesn't let me see the needle and so i start my "om shri maha ganapati namaha" mantra, he is impressed, i'm about to lose it and then it's over.  he tells me to go to the hospital and get an xray.  i hail another rickshaw and go.  so many forms, confusing protocol, and stairs!!  not an elevator in sight!  after the xray which is taken in a room that looks like a clean-ish soviet horror film set, i gimpily lurch to the emergency area.  not too bad in there, definitely could have been worse and a doctor sees me quickly.  no fracture, just sprain.  2 more shots, a bandage job, drugs, and $12 later i am released.  now i am thanking my lucky stars this happened in india!  in america this would have been a logistical nightmare!  a fortune in fees and lots of presciptions!  i have been resting for 3 days now and my ankle is sooo much better.  i have been massaging it with sandalwood and almond oils and it's really been working.  i hobbled around mysore palace today and was wowed by the architecture and splendor of it.  in a few days i'll be able to go to another town but i don't want to press my luck.  things could have been infinitely worse and i'm sooo fortunate that things have gone as well as they have.  the gods are with me!  lots of love to ya!tin tin
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/horizon_chaser/16/1231474980/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/horizon_chaser/16/1231474980/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/horizon_chaser/16/1231474980/tpod.html Thu, 08 Jan 2009 23:23:55 -0500 The Adventures of Tin Tin in Southern India

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Colva, Goa, India

booking the ticket was easy.  getting on, not so much...as i was trying to find my train car, the one with the faded "2 A/C" painted on the side, the train started moving.  how could this be?  people were still boarding!  nevertheless, slowly, slowly gathering speed i jumped on and clung to the bars outside and shoved my way in.  i show my ticket to the ticket collector and he informs me that 2 A/C is fully booked despite my reserved seat and reciept that i am showing him.  he says, "go to another car" pointing to 3 A/C.  now, 2 A/C refers to the number of beds on a compartment wall (3 means a total of 6 beds stacked in a small space) and A/C is, well air conditioned.  i fend for myself in 3 A/C which turns out to be a very good thing.i sqeeze myself onto a bench and after a couple of hours an adjacent bench opens up and i snag it.  the hot sun, endless rice paddies and dusty villages lull me into a vegetative state and i doze for a while waking up to chaiwallahs (boys who sell tea on the train) and a parade of snacks tempting me to eat what the guide books call "forbidden food".  i figure i have about 4 hours left on the train so if i get food poisoning i will at least have made it to my hotel before the effects are apparent.  one must calculate these things in order not to be caught out!  the idlis with spicy coconut chutney!  the pakoras with coconut mint chutney!  heaven!  and i thank my stars for bringing my own cutlery because no matter how many wet wipes i use, my hands still maintain a steady veneer of soot.  across from me a man and who i take to be his wife are waving and smiling at me.  people are so kind here, always smiling.  suddenly a man with a hand drum, his wife and thier child (about 2 years old) sit directly across from me and dive headfirst into song.  he is an able player and his voice is lovely.  when his wife pipes in she beams at me and takes over the melody while the child plays on the bars of the train just like they are monkey bars and no one seems to notice or care.  what a great childhood where one's actions are not so monitored!  while they played the wife of the man across from me sat down and we moved in time with the music.  after a few songs the car gave them rupees and they moved onto the next.  the wife moved back to her spot but her husband came to sit next to me.  he gestured wildly and didn't speak.  his wife who i assume spoke no english motioned to me that he was a deaf mute.  we ended up having a great conversation and going thru my photos on my camera of other places in the world and pix of my parents.  he was eloquent with his gestures and quite easy to understand.  after a while a youngish man sat down near us and snatched my guidebook.  he was leafing thru it and obviously looking for a way to speak to me.  my friend had fallen silent in his gesturing and i felt like the intruder was not someone i should be speaking to.  nevertheless, he started talking to me and me being nice (or just a dumb bitch) i talked to him albeit unencouragingly.  this he took as proof of my adoration of him and did not want to leave me alone.  thankfully he went to buy a soda and there was much eye rolling and shaking of fists among my new friends until the intruder returned.  i was more aloof this time having proof of my friends dislike him as well.  my friend the deaf mute would not leave my side as he knew that once he left the intruder would move to his place beside me.  sure enough, when my friends got up to leave the train, he swooped.  my friends parting shot was him flexing his arm muscles showing me to be strong and not take his shit.  this gave me the strength to basically tell the intruder to fuck off and after a while he did.  my lesson is that, here, women cannot be kind and let them down so the man can save face.  not like europe or america.  you have to crush thier ego in one fell swoop becasue any smiles are seen as encouragement.  it has made me realize how very strong women are here.  having arrived in goa, i have been baking in the sun, frolicking in the sea and eating everything in sight.  i'm staying in colva and it's a lovely beach with not too many foreign tourists.  mostly indian tourists and not too visible on the gringo trail which is perfect for me.  yesterday i rented a moped with a new friend and we drove all around the beach sides and ate in a roadside stall.  the trick really was navigating my way around the cows.  they gather in groups in the middle of the road and are not partial to leaving thier spot.  so i weave my way around them, off the paved road, thru the middle of the herd, anything to get thru them!  it's paradise here though, palm trees, blue water, and sand that is so fine it feels like you're walking on cocaine.  at least it is what i would imagine walking on cocaine to feel like!  and it crunches like snow!  i don't want to leave but today i must get a move on.  i take the night bus to mangalore and then on to mysore.  i wasn't going to mysore at all but everyone i have met loves it so i too, will go.  i send you all lots of love!tin tin
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/horizon_chaser/16/1231065180/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/horizon_chaser/16/1231065180/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/horizon_chaser/16/1231065180/tpod.html Sun, 04 Jan 2009 05:35:10 -0500 The Adventures of Tin Tin in Southern India

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Hampi, Karnataka, India

the adage about india being a land of contrasts is an apt one.  richness of tradition contrasting with unbelievable poverty.  kindness to strangers and neglect of elders.  multi-hued embroidered saris and the constant brown haze that permeates the country.  cleanliness of the temples and the heaps upon heaps of trash that shows up the the most unexpected places.  i cannot reconcile any of it, it's confusing but unarguably lovely.  the children are amazing, very kind, funny, and always wanting to talk to me.  yesterday i met a little girl named Leela.  i was sitting on the ghats by the river just watching people clean thier clothes, thier bodies and lila comes beside me and says, "hello!  which country you from?"  i tell her and she asks me for a "school pen".  luckily a friend from the ashram gave me about 100 of them because they were at the end of thier trip and had no need for them anymore.  i gave her one and then she asked me for a chocolate.  i laughingly said, "i have no chocolate but i love it!  do you have some?  can you give me some chocolate?"  after that we were inseperable.  we walked along the river's edge and talked and took pictures.  i asked her how she spoke english so well?  did she learn it in school?  she said, "i don't go to school, i work".  leela is 8 years old.  we climbed onto the roof of an ancient stone structure and watched the day pass, dipped our feet in the cool river and said how we didn't really like boys, they had swarmed around us by then, and so we ran off leaving the boys confused.  leela is awesome and i hope to give her another hug today and gossip some more!today i crossed the river and took a rickshaw around to some of the other temples.  my drivers name was ganesh (god of the remover of all obstacles) but he really didn't live up to his namesake.  he kept asking me how old i was and when i finally told him thinking he would shut up, he said how he had sooo many girlfriends my age.  the kid said he was 20 but i think he was really 16.  he kept trying to get me to learn how to drive his rickshaw.  which i'm sure would consist of me sitting close beside him and putting his arm around me.  i politely and repeatedly declined.  but he did drive me to the durga temple where i met an older woman in a stunning royal purple and gold silk sari who took me under her wing.  i met her family and we all took pictures.  why people are so keen to have thier picture taken with a white girl i don't know.  maybe it's our fascination with taking thier picture and it's come full circle.  she took me into the tiny inner room of the temple (no more then 4 of us fit in there) to where the priest was performing his rituals for us.  she showed me how to take the smoke from the fire and touch my eyes with it and to drink the sweet blessed water poured into my cupped hand.  durga please don't make my tummy upset because of that!  at the next stop on the rickshaw tour i saw the ancient queen's palace where i was met by a couple of small children abviously in dire need of a meal.  it kills me because tourists aren't supposed to give money to children as that will only teach them to beg in thier future.  i didn't give money but i did give a couple of pens.  at least those can be used for aid in learning.  it's hard though.  how do you refuse?  if you don't, a hundred more will come in the wake of that one.  i just have to remember that...hampi is a gorgeous place.  loads of ancient architecture, stone palaces, elaborate elephant stables, temples abound and the monuments reach the horizon.  but my favorite thing remains the people.  i feel at home here and it's a welcome surprise.love,tin tin
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/horizon_chaser/16/1230903000/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/horizon_chaser/16/1230903000/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/horizon_chaser/16/1230903000/tpod.html Fri, 02 Jan 2009 08:34:21 -0500 The Adventures of Tin Tin in Southern India

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Vellore, Tamil Nadu, India

first off, let me say that the cow thing -about how they are everywhere- its really true.  when i first got to india i hopped in a car to take me to the ashram (more on that in a mo).  as we were making time down the freeway (or it's equivalent) suddenly the driver swerves into the other lane.  i look to see the cause and a cow was trotting along in the fast lane!  he actually seemed to be making good time.  for a cow anyway.  i stayed in the ashram of sri narayani who is a living saint.  my friends were getting married there so i decided to tag along since i had planned to be here anyway (not the ashram, but india).  the place was gorgeous and there was a hindu temple on the grounds that was entirely covered in gold.  stunning doesn't even describe it.  however, i didn't really get to see too much, just fleeting glimpses...this is where the running comes in.as a person staying at the ashram i had special privledges.  one was being able to go into the temple before opening hours so i could fully take in the beauty of the structure without the massive crowds that are there every day.  i thought the temple opened at 9 so i went at 8am.  as i entered, a door opened and a swarm of people engulfed me.  they start running at full speed.  oh shit, it opens at 8!  an old woman in a red sari runs up next to me and smiles, takes my hand, and we dart off with the mob.  we race between children and race with men with her sari trailing behind her before we have to slow down and catch our breaths.  there is a star walk surrounding the temple in the shape of the star of david where people walk or run on the way to get blessings and pray to laxshmi (goddess of wealth and beauty), this is what we were racing in.  it's perfectly natural to mow other people down in the race to laxshmi and it's all done with grins, laughs, andthe incessant "what country you from?".  my new friend showed me how to pay my respects to the goddess and how to recieve the blessing from the temple priest. as we walked and finished up the massive star walk other women started joining us and soon enuogh i was like a pied piper with a bunch of ladies in red saris holding my hands and laughing.  i tell you, it's very good to be a woman traveling alone.  women around the world always take care of each other.  the wedding was gorgeous and the saint married them.  narayani is amaaazing, you can really feel that he is with god.  his eyes never quite focus and his presence is luminous.  he blessed the couple (who are his devotees) and we made our way to a massive feast.  mmmm, i may come back 500 pounds.  will you still love me?  so many things have happened in the few days that i have been here.  i cannot begin to describe them all.  from the press of humanity in the marketplace to the poverty to the man at the bus station who was ragged as hell looking who tried to take my ring off my finger when i shook his hand.  i ended up yelling at him and giving him the evil eye much to the amusement of the many passengers at the station.  but people have been unswervingly kind and i think that i will have a very good time here indeed.  love to you all!tin tin
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