TravelStream™ news feed for member jcbeep on TravelPod's free travel blogs service http://www.travelpod.com/syndication/rss/jcbeep en-us Copyright ©2009 TravelPod.com Mon, 11 May 2009 15:28:20 -0400 http://www.travelpod.com http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/jcbeep/27/1240356660/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/jcbeep/27/1240356660/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/jcbeep/27/1240356660/tpod.html Mon, 11 May 2009 15:28:20 -0400 New York New York

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New York City, New York, United States

New York!
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/jcbeep/25/1226777460/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/jcbeep/25/1226777460/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/jcbeep/25/1226777460/tpod.html Sat, 22 Nov 2008 08:11:55 -0500 Auchenblae - most romantic location for a wedding? Quite possibly! Congrats Mo!!

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Auchenblae, United Kingdom

Congrats to the happy couple!
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/jcbeep/24/1222626300/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/jcbeep/24/1222626300/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/jcbeep/24/1222626300/tpod.html Fri, 10 Oct 2008 18:27:55 -0400 Derry - good location for a hen weekend? ABSOLUTELY!!!!

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Derry, Northern Ireland, United Kingdom

Top craic!
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/jcbeep/work_japan/1006638300/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/jcbeep/work_japan/1006638300/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/jcbeep/work_japan/1006638300/tpod.html Sun, 24 Aug 2008 16:46:31 -0400 Off abroad again, this time to work.

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Hakone, Kanto, Japan

naked onsen!
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/jcbeep/work_japan/1219610580/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/jcbeep/work_japan/1219610580/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/jcbeep/work_japan/1219610580/tpod.html Sun, 24 Aug 2008 16:45:11 -0400 Off abroad again, this time to work.

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Hirosaki, Tohoku, Japan

less rain
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/jcbeep/work_japan/1029530520/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/jcbeep/work_japan/1029530520/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/jcbeep/work_japan/1029530520/tpod.html Sun, 24 Aug 2008 16:43:15 -0400 Off abroad again, this time to work.

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Hakodate, Hokkaido, Japan

more rain
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/jcbeep/work_japan/1029444060/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/jcbeep/work_japan/1029444060/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/jcbeep/work_japan/1029444060/tpod.html Sun, 24 Aug 2008 16:41:44 -0400 Off abroad again, this time to work.

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Sapporo, Hokkaido, Japan

wet and rainy
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/jcbeep/22/1213864740/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/jcbeep/22/1213864740/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/jcbeep/22/1213864740/tpod.html Thu, 31 Jul 2008 18:33:09 -0400 The craziest idea yet?!

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Mamallapuram, Tamil Nadu, India

In my few days post Dolly, we went to the arrival party - really great fun in a beautiful setting and a fantastic night, catching up with all the other Rickshaw Runners - everyone had stories to tell about their adventures! I came across an elephant at a temple which, for only one rupee, touched the top of your head with its trunk would bless you. Well, I just had to pay up!! Teams started leaving at a steady rate, so we decided to head back up the coast and since then, I have just been having the most relaxing time now that I am back in Mamallapuram. We certainly travelled here in style. In complete contrast to how we have become accustomed to travelling, we hired an air conditioned Ambassador taxi - and it was a world away from the hot, noisy, bumpy method of travel we have employed the last few weeks! Here in Mamallapuram,  I seem to have completely forgotten how to use my brain, this place is incredibly chilled, it is off season so very quiet, but the locals are very friendly, and there are actually still a number of Rickshaw Runners about, so the party has just moved up the coast 100km. I haven't really been doing an awful lot, strolling around the shops, even the vendors aren't that bothered about making sales due to it being off season, so they are happy just to let you look, or chat without any of the usual sales pressure you would normally get. I got a dress made for me, from choosing the material to having a final fitting took around 20 hours. It's very exciting, as I don't wear dresses very often; although it is very casual, I still feel quite dressed up in it, so now will have to find an occasion to wear it. And shoes, and accessories! I managed to do a little sightseeing. Mamallapuram is famous throughout India for its ancient rock carvings, and the town itself (although its population is now around 12,000) was once the second capital. The town, and surrounding area was affected by the 2004 tsunami (there are before and after photos in some of the beach restaurants we went to, and in fact, all along the stretch of coast betwen Mamallapuram and Pondicherry were signs such as Tsunami Rehabilitation Project and the like). Amazingly, a small stone temple which was originally constructed around the middle of the 7th century survived the tsunami despite no apparent protection from the elements. The Shore Temple is really stunning and the detail still visible today is quite incredible given its age, Hopefully the newly constructed sea wall will continue to protect it for many years to come. Long before I left Britain, I tried to set up a visit to a children's school in Chennai and to take colouring pencils, felt pens, that sort of thing. Unfortunately, that fell through, and as the trip is nearing an end, I was thinking of sending what I had to a contact in Kathmandu, who I had only heard from after I left. Then fate intervened.... I was heading back to the lodge we were staying at when a man on a scooter stopped and said hi, much like has happened countless times on the trip already. We got chatting and he mentioned he ran a children's orphanage - and asked me if I would like to come and visit. For me, it was too great an opportunity to turn down, so we arranged to meet the following day. He took me along to his house, which served as an office for the orphanage before I jumped back onto his scooter (needless to say, without helmet) and he took me the 10km or so out to orphanage, to meet the kids. They must have been told I was going to be visiting, and presumably they heard the scooter's arrival. As I walked in, the children were all singing The Alphabet Song, though when they saw me, most seemed to become far les interested in singing and paid a lot more attention to the new arrival! I was led into a room just off the main one and the kids, who had all been sitting round in a circle, sneaked over to the doorway to try and get a better look at this white skinned person! I had such a lovely morning in their company. They danced, sang, performed various action games, and tried to get me to join in, and then insisted that I teach them a song. It never even occurred to me that I might be asked such a thing - and I just about froze at the thought of singing in front of all these kids. There was nothing to be done, however, than to just get stuck in, so I launched into Heads, Shoulders, Knees and Toes - which the kids knew, but I varied is slightly - after the round, we only mouthed 'heads' and paused, before repeating the rest of it as quickly as possible. Caught the kids out every time - and they loved it! I think the only other song I know that we could all join in was Here We Go Round the Mulberry Bush - and again, they all loved doing the actions - washing their face, brushing their teeth, walking to school etc. I was shown round the building - one main room with several much smaller ones off it: the office, the girls' room, the 'cloakroom', the girls' bathroom, the kitchen and storeroom. Then I was shown admittance records for all the children - and it was heartbreaking. There were three set of siblings there, and the children were either orphans, from poor families which couldn't manage to raise them, or abandoned. They were ages roughly 5 - 13, with a mix of about 13 girls to 6 boys. And yet these children were all neatly dressed - albeit in very poorly fitting clothes - and seemed happy. They kept playing with my hair, posing for photos, wanting me to watch a game they playing, or join in with a dance, or a song, or a game, including karom, an Indian game, played by people of all ages (and seen taking place with the board set up on many pavements) which is almost like billiards in that you have to sink a piece (rather like a jumbo tiddleywink) into a hole in the corners of the board. Pieces are moving round by flicking them so they bounce off each other. I was absolutely useless!! I was really saddened to have to leave, especially as I had been awaiting a hard sell about finance from the manager, and to my shame, it never arrived. His son (probably only about 10 years old) did give me a piece of paper with their bank details on it, but I said I could make no guarantees about being able to provide such support (much as I would like to) and it was not mentioned again. One promise I did make, which I do hope to be able to keep, is to try and send clothes for the kids. If you have enjoyed reading this, and have any old kids clothes (any condition, and probably fairly small sizes), perhaps you will consider donating them so that I can pass them on to these utterly deserving children. My last day was spent in the company of Team Cross Country Kiwi, as Sharon's flight left a day before mine. We went to a crocodile farm en route to Chennai, and although it wasn't quite what I imagined I would do, we had a city tour which took in the cathedral and numerous shops and a shopping mall before we all headed out to the airport. So diffictult to believe that this amazing adventure was coming almost at an end. I absolutely had the most fantastic time imaginable - it truly surpassed my wildest dreams. India, and Nepal to a lesser extent, but only through having spent less time there, has left an indelibel mark on my consciousness and I cannot wait until the time comes when I can return to explore them further.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/jcbeep/22/1212450000/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/jcbeep/22/1212450000/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/jcbeep/22/1212450000/tpod.html Mon, 14 Jul 2008 14:39:35 -0400 The craziest idea yet?!

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Gorakhpur, India

Hard to believe this was my last day in Nepal. I've had a lovely time, but more adventures beckon in India. We stayed in a small town for our first night on the road. There were several other teams about, so it was good to hear how everyone's first experiences had been. There were a few rumours of one overturned rickshaw, with the occupants slightly injured, but no one had any definite details - so, at this stage, just hoping it's a bit of scaremongering... Actually, from my point of view, the only bad point about yesterday was the blisters I have developed on my hands - they really are quite impressive! I will definitely be posting photos, though they may have to carry a warning! We had our first minor hiccup shortly after leaving last night's stop. As we pootled up a hill, the rickshaw bunny hopped a bit and then just stopped, on an uphill bend - not the safest place! Fortunately, another team were right behind us, so we cleaned the spark plug, waited a few minutes then rolled it downhill and were able to bumpstart her again - and after that, she was fine. I took over the driving shortly before we came to the border.  There, we passed through Nepalese immigration with no problems whatsoever, but were told we had to go to the Customs House to clear our rickshaws. Here, we met bureaucracy at its slowest. We had all the necessary documentation, indeed, we were told that several teams had passed through about 20 minutes before we arrived. But, for reasons unknown, they were not so keen on waving us through. There ended up being about eight rickshaws all parked up in a row, having all submitted export documents, before we were taken to see the Head guy, who wasn't happy with something. The heat was just unbearable, with so many lorries waiting to cross, all with engines idling - it was unbelievable. Finally, the Head decided he would only be happy if someone contacted the company which is leasing us the rickshaws, and he received some sort of faxed confirmation that we were indeed allowed to take the rickshaws over to India. Amazingly, this was the quickest part of the whole procedure - it was probably only about 15 minutes later that we were given all the papers back and were ushered on our way. We later found out that teams passing that way after us encountered no problems whatsoever. And so I drove us over into India. I didn't even have to leave the rickshaw to go to Immigration - Sharon took my passport and returned a few minutes later with the relevant stamp! Almost immediately, the roads seemed busier, noisier, more colourful... and there was a diference in the reception we received.  It was almost universally positive in Nepal, but here, we seemed to be greeted with a healthy dose of indiference. Blank stares, people completely ignoring our calls of 'namaste'. Bit of a rude awakening! Further along the road, we indulged in a spot of black market currency exchange, before heading on to the city of Gorakhpur. Here, things got interesting... It was probably about 5.30 when we arrived, and somehow we navigated to the train station, an identifiable landmark, across possibly the maddest roads I have EVER encountered. There generally are few road rules. The most important is 'size matters' - therefore, the rickshaw can take priority over bicycles and scooters, but generally defers to jeeps and especially lorries and buses. On one of the roads, just off the main street, everything seemed to converge on one spot, with us stuck in the middle, not quite sure which direction to take! We were completely jammed in with pedi-rickshaws, bicycles, scooters, cars on all sides. So the only thing to do was just start edging regardless, VERY slowly, horm blaring and gradually we managed to make our way through the jam. It is possibly the single most exhilarating driving I have ever done!! It was just brilliant! I enjoyed it SO much - you just don't find traffic like that back home!!!! Finally, we made it to a hotel, and again, there were a few other teams there, so it was good to hear of their progress and chat about future routes etc. All in all, a great day's driving!
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/jcbeep/22/1212817980/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/jcbeep/22/1212817980/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/jcbeep/22/1212817980/tpod.html Thu, 03 Jul 2008 13:15:08 -0400 The craziest idea yet?!

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Kamareddi, India

Without doubt, the quietest day of the trip so far. Some more driving, no breakdowns which is a definite bonus. At one truckstop, cows started eating the floral bling on Dolly. There were a few more amusing road signs, such as "Your life begins at 40, your speed ends there", "Speed thrills, but kills", "Short cut may short your life" and "Better last in this world than first in that world". We made it to Kamareddi and after a little trouble finding somewhere to stay, checked into a not terribly pleasant lodge, on the main road, but it had aircon so it wasn't all bad. At dinner, we were surprised when a woman came over to chat to us - particularly up north, but still to some extent the further south we have travelled, women have been seen little, so it was a nice surprise to find one who spoke a little English, come and chat to us. She dragged her husband over, he asked us several times if we were missionaries! We live on the edge, so by 9pm, we were tucked up in bed trying to get to sleep....
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