Maun and Namibia

Matt and I spent 21st of March in the tiny town of Maun, recovering from our safari. Besides going to the grocery store and resting, we also spent several hours on the internet catching up on emails, news, and contacting our loved ones.

The following morning we headed back to the internet cafe to make some phone calls regarding a rental vehicle. We would be arriving in Windhoek, Namibia during Easter weekend while everyone was taking family vacations, so finding a rental car was not easy or cheap. Eventually, between the phone at the internet cafe and the payphone at the airport, we reserved a vehicle then hopped our flight to Namibia. The rental agency picked us up when we arrived and we drove to their office where they introduced us to our truck and how to use all of its amenities.


The ride from the rental agency to the backpackers was a bumpy one since , of the two of us, Matt is the better at driving stick, and the word "proficient" at the time would have been an exaggeration of his skills. Eventually, we arrived at the hostel, set up our new car tent and slept like logs all night.

The following morning, we made a brief stop at the grocery store before heading out towards Sossusvlei. The drive took about 5 hours mostly along empty gravel roads. I had several opportunities to practice my driving during this time. We're lucky it was a rental because the transmission must have been in pain. When we finally arrived at the campsite at the entrance to the park, we found it would cost $80 US for us to stay there for the evening. After a bit of frustration directed at the "new management," we headed back the way we had come and drove 40 miles before finding a campsite.


Just before we arrived at the campsite, I saw something that completely lifted my mood and made me burst out laughing. It was a springbok. When you see how they move, you'll understand why I thought it was so funny. I wasn't able to record one, but the first minute of the video here will give you the idea.

When we arrived we parked the car and went in search of the owners. We discovered that they had gone out for groceries and we should just pick a campsite and come back up to the house when we heard a car. Except that when we returned to the truck, we discovered that we had somehow gotten a flat. At that point, it was dusk, we were exhausted and neither of us had touched food in ages.

It was decided that we'd drive down and pick a site, have a snack, watch the sun set, then in a new mindset, swap out the tire. We met some nice friends who welcomed us up to a good spot for the sunset, and afterwards, helped us change the tire. Then we set up our tent again and went to bed.

The following morning, we were up before the sun, making coffee and showering before heading off to Sossusvei. As we drove, the rising sun was covering the hills with its light and shadows. Even though we were traversing the same path as the previous day, our attitudes were much better and we were anticipating the splendour of the renowned dunes.

When we finally entered the park, the dunes didn't disappoint. I don't know how to describe them except as massive, otherwordly, deep red dunes. We enjoyed the off-road time in the truck before we arrived at Deadvlei and it was time to hike. We followed streams of footprints until we arrived at a large, dry white clay pan surrounded my massive dunes. The sun was large and hot and there was no protection around as Matt and I hauled ourselves up one huge dune to the left. Then I watched in admiration as he trekked far into the distance to the top of the largest dune around. This might not sound like much of an accomplishment, but some of the dunes can be up to 1000 feet tall and you barely gain ground with each step.




Following our walks, we headed back to the car for some much-needed hydration. After driving around the dunes a bit longer, we headed to Swakopmund, and it was another six hours before we arrived. Our backpackers was called Desert Sky and it had all the amenities. First, we set up a sandboarding trip for the following day, then cooked some dinner before bed.


The following day was a blast. I've only tried to snowboard twice, and both times I spent the afternoon on my butt. But sandboarding was much easier to catch on because it's slower than snowboarding and the surface is completely uniform. We spent several hours hiking up dunes and flying down them on the thoroughly-waxed boards. In the process, we met a bunch of cool people and got tons of exercise. Some of the friends we made were three American college students who were studying abroad in Windhoek, and we chatted with them for ages and ended up offering them a drive back to town the following day.


Upon returning from sandboarding, I took a nap until 5 or 6 when Matt and I made up some dinner and headed off to the Swakop Lodge. The photographer from sandboarding was showing our group video from that afternoon and offering pictures for sale. After watching the video and drinking a beer with our new friends, we headed back to our car/tent and went to bed.

The following morning, I was up early for a seal and dolphin trip. The car picked me up and we headed down and got on the boat. It was an interesting trip. Most people were on the boat to see bottlenosed dolphins, but I was there for the seals and the Heavysides Dolphin. We saw the unusual Heavysides dolphin within of few minutes of our trip then we headed out towards the seals, paralleling the duney shoreline as we motored along. Our captain slowed down at points to feed fish to the giant pelicans, seagulls and other birds who recognized us and flew along with our boat. When we reached the island with the seal colony, I was surprised at first by the smell. It was overwhelming. But as we pulled away from shore a bit, it was easier to watch the seals playing around with each other in the waves (if you're interested in the seals you can see video here). After the seals, we searched for bottlenose dolphins for a while before giving up and heading to the harbour for lunch. Halfway through our snacktime, a bottlenose dolphin showed up in the harbour right next to our boat. We followed him around for a bit, much to the amusement of the other passengers, before heading back to the dock. After I was dropped off at the backpackers, Matt and I had to gather our gear and make room to accommodate our new friends in the car before heading towards Windhoek.


It was a surprisingly short 5 hour drive. As we rode, we sang along with the odd selection of CDs which we borrowed from the car rental man and talked about Namibia and home. When we arrived in Windhoek, we dropped off Vaun, Jesse, and Ryan before returning the car to its owner and heading to our backpackers.

The following day was spent exploring the points of interest in Windhoek such as the historic buildings, government center and market. Then, the rain began to fall and made us scurry for shelter in a nearby internet cafe until it was time to meet our friends for dinner.


The chosen location was Joe's Beerhouse, which is well-known for its selection of game meats. We tried everything from crocodile to ostrich to zebra before the meal was finished and despite my initial horror, all of the pretty animals tasted quite delicious. Eventually, we parted ways with our friends and took a taxi back to the backpackers where we spent our last night in Namibia.


The pictures in the post are: our fancy-pants camper truck, pretty sights on the way to Sossusvlei, a massive dune, the view from the top of a dune, the clay pan with its scorched trees, the Tropic of Capricorn which we crossed over on the way from Sossusvlei to Swakopmund, me preparing for sandboarding, a Heavysides dolphin with dunes behind, and Christ Church in Windhoek.

Botswana!

WARNING: This is a long post.

If you are at work, you might want to wait until lunch to read it. :)

The morning of March 12th, I woke up in splendor at Shackelton's and after a delicious breakfast, Matt, Victor and I were on the road to the Zambia/Botswana border. When we arrived, we met Willy, Anne, Gro, and Erling who were on the safari with us, and Andy, our knowledgeable guide. After taking a brief trip across the river border, we all piled into a big safari truck with our gear. We headed to Chobezi where we took a scenic boatride along the river We spotted a group of impalas and a group of kudus, along with a cluster of hippos in the water and baboons in the trees, then a monitor lizard and a breeding herd of elephants before the boatride was over.

After our splendid and relaxing trip, we headed to a little airport and flew to Linyanti, where our plane sent a family of warthogs scurrying off the gravel runway. Despite the fact that we were in the middle of nowhere, we noted the presence of something incredibly familiar. It was a Cameltones sticker on the propeller barricade parked at the runway (someone please email Rob Grant and crew and indict them for vandalism... kidding). We all piled into another safari truck and had an AMAZING drive to our new camp. In addition to the animals we had already spotted along the river, we saw an ostrich (now that's a ridiculous animal) and several giraffes (even taller in person). By the time we arrived at the camp, we were thoroughly excited for the coming days. We settled our gear into the new tents and had a spectacular dinner (prepared by Gladys) before going to bed exhausted.

The next morning at breakfast, we were informed that the guides had heard lions very nearby during the night. We set out in the truck after eating and spent about an hour finding, following, losing and recovering tracks before we located the "border boys." These three male lions live between Namibia and Botswana, and despite visa regulations for the rest of us, these juveniles can walk freely across the border whenever they feel inclined.

When we came upon them, they were lounging in the shade, observing us halfheartedly. The way they laid on their backs, licked their paws, or nibbled at an itch was remarkably similar to a housepet. They were very cute and furry, and part of me wanted to live my own jungle book story and become a lion. Eventually, we pulled ourselves away from our furry friends and continued to drive. We located a warthog family, a group of kudus, and some storks before we stopped for a tea break. Then we headed back to the camp for relaxation, lunch, and a shower before heading out again in the evening.

Our first mission was to see if we could find the border boys again and we did. Apparently, when you're a lion, you feel free to take naps in the middle of the road. We watched the boys take their siesta for a bit before the sun began to set and we headed off. Just when dusk was staring to gain the upper hand on the sky, we came upon two gorgeous girls and a young boy lion resting on the top of a giant termite mound. They looked noble perched like that, as if they were in charge of all the other animals. When the sun had fully set, we headed back to camp for a yummy dinner and a good night's rest.

The following morning, we were up before the sun, getting ready for a long day. We had to turn on our flashlights (headlamps) before exiting the tent to make sure there weren't any big, hungry, eyes gleaming nearby. When we were sure the way was clear, we headed up for breakfast (with lots of coffee) then hopped in the truck. We drove for a couple of hours to Savuti Marsh in Chobe National Park. We had been smacked by intrusive bushes periodically on all of our drives, so we were a bit surprised when Andy warned us, "this is the part of the road where the branches will come into the car." That statement began a period of about a half hour when all of us had to lean far to the center of the open vehicle to avoid being impaled or losing an eye. It was exciting.

When we arrived at the park office, we were greeted with a collection animal bones (an elephant femur is about 3' long with a cross-sectional area as big as your fist) and we spotted a few sets of sun-bleached bones a few times during the day, contrasting against the green grass. Another new appearance were the lilac-breasted rollers (small birds) flying alongside our truck and swooping down to grab the crickets which our wheels frightened out of the grass. In addition to the usual suspects, we spotted wildebeests (otherwise known as gnus), secretary birds (a large flying bird) and zebras! The zebras seemed humble, strolling along, as if they didn't know that everyone in the world envies their attire.

We stopped for lunch in a picturesque spot near a waterhole where we we joined by wildebeests, impalas, cattle egrets and others, as well as a few giraffes in the distance. After our tasty break, we searched futilely for about an hour for hyenas and wild dogs before heading back to camp. When we arrived, it was time for a shower (heated water in a suspended bucket equipped with a showerhead) then a rest before dinner.

The following morning, our drive was rather unsuccessful until the very end when we saw a breeding herd (mothers, babies, and juveniles) of elephants then a leopard tortoise on our way back to camp. After a siesta and dinner at the camp, we headed out for the evening drive. We saw a herd of waterbucks before the dark clouds that had been slowly encroaching opened up on us. The brief downpour soaked several of us, so we remedied the situation with some sundowners at the side of a hippo pond before heading back to the camp.

The next day, we had a game drive on the way to the runway. We spotted the usuals, plus a tawny eagle and one of my favorites, a chameleon. I know it's a relatively boring animal on a safari, but I loved the chameleon. He is an oddity. His feet open like hinges before he steps down, his eyes can rotate around in his head, he changes color, and he's got an attitude! I tried to pick him up but he inflated his throat and made menacing noises, so I left him alone. Anyway, after my chameleon investigation, we hopped on a little Piper Caravan (a prop plane which seats about 12) and flew to the Vumbura airstrip where we frightened a flock of ostriches off the runway.

After we loaded our gear into the vehicle there, we drove around on a failed search for a leopard then began to head to our new camp before we were halted by engine trouble. After quite some time, we found a mechanic who fixed the truck but not before it was nearly dark. As we finally headed off, another safari truck drove by in the opposite direction and shouted that they knew where a leopard was hunting. We followed them until we sighted a figure slinking through the tall grass. Our leopard was a juvenile male and we watched him for several minutes before the sun set. We all knew, in the dark, as the rain began to fall, that we were still several hours from our intended camp. As we drove away from the leopard, Victor informed us that we'd be staying at a closer camp that night because of all the car trouble we'd had. As we neared the new camp, the truck became lodged in deep mud. We were told to hop out and after walking for a couple of minutes in the dark and drizzle, we entered our chance home for the night. It was Vumbura, one of the nicest lodges that the company owns. We walked in to an impeccably-styled lobby room with a long, wooden bar and deep, luxurious-looking couches. As our eyes roamed around the premises, we took in everything from the endless dining table to the map-room.

After stripping off our soaked, outer layers and rehabilitating with mixed beverages, we were briefed on the layout of the lodge and our altered schedule. Before we knew it, it was time for a magnificent dinner, and after that, we were lead to our rooms. I'm not going to describe ourroom itself, save that it was large, but rather focus on the amenities. There was a massive shower, huge, plush beds under a mosquito net the size of a normal room, a sunken, sumptuous, lounge area, a deck with an outdoor shower, and finally, a small, private pool. Despite the fact that we didn't have time to use most of the luxuries, we still appreciated their presence as we sunk into dreams.

The next morning, we headed off in the direction of our previous night's intended camp. The effect of the night's rain was visible in all of the marshy areas that existed where the roads had been and the truck became thoroughly stuck twice on the way to the camp. The first time, we helped to free a larger truck which then towed us out, and the second time, we were all up to our knees in water, barefoot, hauling sticks for traction, jacking up the truck, and cracking open cans of Hansa. It was hard work and good fun. After we finally got moving, we spotted a steenbock. This is another favorite animal of mine now. It's an antelope the size of a large rabbit or a small dog. It is an absurd animal and it sent me daydreaming of having a small flock of them to roam around my backyard.

In addition to the steenbok, we saw several sable antelope and wildebeests before we arrived at the Lechwe camp. After a brief snack, we headed up the adjacent river in canoes chatting, racing, and avoiding potential hippo hangout spots. We all loved the time on the river and didn't head back to camp until dusk. Then it was time for dinner and bed.

The following morning was Simon's birthday and we all sung to him at breakfast. As we ate, we discovered that our guide, Andy, had told his boss our truck had gotten stuck SIX times on the way to Lechwe camp. The boss, realizing how much of an inconvenience it would be to replay this process on the way out of the camp had decided to send a HELICOPTER to collect us. We all cheered Andy and were thrilled at the new development as went packed our bags. Later, the helicopter setting down in the long grass made me feel a bit like I was in Jurassic Park or Apocalypse Now and it was brief but exciting. After the helicopter pilot shuttled all of us to the runway, we waited for our plane and flew to Xigera where we frightened a group of zebras and impalas off the runway upon landing.

We drove from the runway to an arm of the Okavango Delta where we hopped in mokoros (hollowed-out log canoes) and were punted (the aquatic use of the word) to the Xigera camp island in time for sunset.

The following morning, we went for a nature walk and learned about tracking animals using footprints and droppings. We also learned about various plants and birds and we followed some giraffes who made sure to stay safely ahead of us while we walked. We also witnessed the setting and springing of a bird trap which you can watch here. Upon returning to camp, we ate a big breakfast and paid close attention to a lesson on the history and formation of the delta including the importance of termite mounds (during dry periods, the termites begin building on the newly-accessible land and the baboons come to rest on the mound and leave seeds in their droppings which become trees over time and when the water rises again, you have a new island).

After a little leisure time, we headed out in the mokoros again, admiring the islands and spotting reed frogs. We eventually, we stopped at an island for mokoro-punting lessons, elephant tusk playtime, and sundowners. The sunset was vibrant and polychromatic and it could be seen clearly in the reflection of the smooth, delta water. When we arrived back at the camp, we had a big dinner and a belated birthday cake for Simon (baked in a hole with coals above and on top of the lidded pot) before a long evening of cocktails, toasts, and chatting around the fire. Later, when Erling and Gro headed to bed, they found that an elephant had made himself at home in the campsite and their clothes were strewn about in the reeds and the tent was on its side.

The following day was our last with wilderness and it began with elephants strolling by our tents after a long night of wandering about the camp. Gro and Erling (their tent was under an amarula tree) woke up to an elephant right outside their screen door, and then a trunk inside their tent. After our family of nine reunited at breakfast and we heard about the elephant in the tent, it was time to pack and take a mokoro trip back to the Xigera runway where we flew to Maun and sadly parted ways. Matt and I grabbed a taxi to a backpackers and made ourselves at home before hopping a public minibus (combi) into town and assessing the place. Soon, we were back and exhaustedly fell into bed.

The pictures on this post are: The direction post at Vumbura runway, an ostrich, one of the Border Boys, the lovely ladies and son, a herd of zebras as Chobe, the watering hole with impalas and a wildebeest, cocktail hour by the truck, the last-minute breeding herd bath, Mr. Chameleon, juvenile leopard in the dusk, our normal camp style, another gorgeous sunset, the Okavango Delta, a giraffe, and the whole crew (I'm going to name people clockwise, starting with Matt and the guides who were not with us everyday will be labeled "guide." Matt, guide, Victor, guide, Anne, Gro, Willy, Erling, Simon, guide, Ellie, Andy, guide, guide).

Zambia

The morning of March 7th, I was groggy but excited as I found myself on a plane to a new continent, in a hemisphere I'd never visited.

Matt and I arrived in Johannesburg and then transferred to Livingston where we were collected and driven to our hostel (called a "backpackers" in Africa). A couple observations from that drive are; the world is bright and colorful (there was not a layer of filth and smog like some places in India) and the ceiling of the sky was so HIGH! I finally know what Paul Simon has been singing about all this time. These "African skies" are of a different nature than what we have at home.


The first few hours were spent between showering (the last shower was two days previous in Goa) and organizing our possessions. I don't know if you've ever stayed at a hostel before, but it's an intelligent decision to lock up everything but a few articles of clothing and some toiletries. We didn't do much else that day besides procure some kwacha (Zambia's currency) and pick up some snacks at the grocery store.

The following morning, we were up early and on the road to Victoria Falls with our friends Christina and Richard who we had met at the backpackers the previous evening. Matt and I brought nothing with us to the Falls besides the entrance fees. Why? Because standing anywhere within about a quarter mile from the Falls during the wet season is comparable to standing under your shower, and standing nearer than that is more similar to swimming.

The Falls were gorgeous and the area around them was an adventure to explore. We walked down a steep trail and through a river, then over some boulders to see the "boiling pot" where the water crashes and churns at the base of the waterfall. But to really get a good taste of the Falls, we had to walk down a few wooded paths and over a bridge to see.... nothing. We could see each other, but anything farther than a few yards was just gray. It must feel like that to stand inside a rain cloud, and not a shred of my clothes were dry, my hair was wet through and I had removed my glasses since they were useless in the deluge.


After our soaking, we headed upriver on a sunny walkway to see the top of the falls and give our clothes a chance to dry. When we were drier, we found a minibus and hopped a ride back into town and got a taste of some local lunch. We spent the evening socializing with all sorts of new friends from all over the world who were either travelling through or living in African countries. We even met a guy from Delaware who works as a bush pilot for Medecins Sans Frontieres.

The following morning I decided, at the last minute, to join some friends on a canoe trip. It proved to be a beneficial decision. There were about a dozen of us canoeing and two guides alongside in kayaks. Our canoes were a strange combination of a kayak, a canoe and an inflatable, seating two people who use kayak paddles. The river was a blast though; there were plenty of simple rapids and the weather was amazing. The guides briefed us in the morning on how to react if a hippo bumps you out of your boat, and on the importance of avoiding crocodiles. And it was no joke because we saw about ten hippos and a couple crocodiles. And joining us along the shoreline during different points were a monitor lizard, two giraffes, and scores of birds whose names I have forgotten.


When I returned to the hostel, I had time to handwash some laundry and grab a shower before the electricity went out. Matt and I ended the evening having a candlelight dinner out with some friends from the hostel before bed. The 10th of March was an interesting day as most of the morning and early afternoon were spent watching my brother hurl himself off a bridge twice, and then a cliff.

The bridge spanning the Zambezi River just past Victoria Falls is a steel lifeline between Zimbabwe and Zambia (a.k.a. Zim/Zam) and it stands 111 meters high above the raging current. Some people (not those of sound mind) choose to bungee jump off the bridge. Matt and our friend Justin not only bungee jumped, but also used the gorge swing (if you've never been introduced to a gorge swing or if you enjoy watching other people torture themselves, please have a look at the video I took of Matt) AND took a zipline across the river. This madness took up most of the day and I spent the evening reading our southern Africa book and having a cocktail in the backpackers' pool (it was a stressful morning).


The following day, Matt and I repacked all of our gear and headed to the airport where we met Victor and Simon. Victor was one of our guides and Simon was part of the group with Matt and I. We headed straight to Victoria Falls, and this time we brought our cameras (so those two previous pics are purposely out of chronological sequence). After our lovely wander around the waterfall, we took a drive to the middle of nowhere to find a shockingly luxurious inn (Shackelton's) where we were greeted with cheeses and snacks the likes of which we'd rarely seen in months. The sunset over the oxbow lake bordering the property was stunning as were the magnificent spread at dinner and the wood-fired hot water showers. I went to bed with safari dreams in my head; excited to fully begin my adventure the following day.

The pictures in this post are: The Zambezi River and the tall plumes of spray from the Falls viewed from the airplane, the tip top of the waterfall, a day of fun on the river with foreboding waterfall-spray downriver, Victoria Falls from the Zambia side, and the Shackelton's sunset.

UPDATE

Hi! Sorry for the lack of communication. I will have internet access for a couple of days and intend to catch up on the blog. Keep your eyes peeled for updates! A hint of what's to come: new continent and new hemisphere :) -ellie

p.s. I will post the older posts below this note, and the newer ones (when I get around to them) above.

India

Let me make another disclaimer here:

These thoughts are from the mind of a Western-raised foreigner who only spent a month in the country. They are not thoroughly-studied or verified cultural norms. They're also composed rapidly in order to polish off the India posts.... finally.

• Clothing

Both men and women can dress completely in sheets of fabric (although there men mostly wore tailored shirts, and women wore small tailored tops under their saris, and many people wore more western clothing). Women can wear saris, a long, rectangular piece of cloth, which they tie magically like a skirt and then wrap up around their chest and over the shoulder and they look gorgeous. The men can wear a dhoti, like a long wrap-skirt which they pull up in the middle then tuck in the back of the waist to function as shorts. On their heads the women can wear head scarves and the men can wear turbans or just wrap a scarf around their head repeatedly.

• Affection
  

It is socially improper for women and men to show affection in public, which means no kissing, no hugging, no hand holding. However, men can show affection to each other, so you often see good friends walking down the road with an arm around one another or two men holding hands.

• Markets

The fabrics, clothes, and other products sold at outdoor markets are so colorful that they give the bustling markets the feeling of a straight-laced street party.

• Poverty

The poverty is severe and it's everywhere. That is not to say that everyone is impoverished, but rather that the tent-shacks of the seriously destitute exist alongside the skyscraper apartments of the upper-class.

• Dating

There are no "personals" in the newspaper as we have them, but rather "matrimonials." These search for husbands and wives based on a couple dozen words regarding income, class, and life goals.

• Castes

The caste system makes no sense to me. I don't understand it and it's irrelevant to me. But I thought I had better mention it. If you'd like to read about it, check the BBC's page on the subject.

• Animals

There are alot of monkeys, holy cows, parrots, and farm animals everywhere, all the time.

• Photography

Maybe it's the age of the culture, maybe it's the colorful clothing; I don't know why, but the photo opportunities in this country are ubiquitous.

• Conversation

So many people are fluent or passable in English, that it's easy to converse, get around, and make friends.

• Religion

Most people are Hindus. The differences between Hinduism and (our majority religion) Christianity are vast.

• Diet

A huge number of people (maybe the majority) are vegetarians. Very different from at home where you can go out to dinner and not see a single veggie option on the menu.

Goa

February 29th, we arrived at the Karmali train station and took a moto-rickshaw into Panjim, or Panaji, the capital of Goa. The Portuguese colonial influence was immediately visible in the architecture we saw as we rode into town. Upon reaching our hotel, we had time for showers and to catch up on some laundry before taking a walk. Our walking tour took us through some residential areas in the old quarter, by government buildings, and past some impressive religious temples including the Lady of the Immaculate Conception Church. The church and the lack of "holy cows" roaming the streets were some noticeable signs of the predominant religion in the area, Christianity. After our tour, we headed to the bank and took out some cash to pay for our cooking class the following morning; the main reason for our visit to Panjim.

The following morning, after breakfast, we met up with the woman who would be our teacher. After some chatting, we found out the price of our class had increased and that the necessary ingredients for our desired dishes had not been procured. We were to meet again at 7pm. So we spent the day checking out the town, walking, tasting local food and catching up on BBC news. At the arranged time, we met up with the lady who walked us through backstreets to her house. In her kitchen, she proceeded to read off an internet-printout recipe to tell us how to chop up the vegetables. Though we had asked her to teach us to make proper chai tea, she just threw a pre-mixed herb blend into the hot water and it tasted nothing like the chai we had been drinking all over India. Several of the sauces were already prepared, so there was no chance for us to learn how to make them ourselves.

The woman made us pay a professional-cooking-class price and that's not the type of education we received. So after about ten minutes, when we realized this "chef" had no idea what she was doing and had never cooked the meals before, we asked her if it would be possible to end the class. She said we could have a refund, but the money was in the bank and it was 8pm. The following day was Sunday, so the bank would be closed, could we come in Monday? We told he we were going to the beach, we would come back on the 4th if that would be okay. It would. And what percentage of the money would be refunded? One hundred percent. Okay.

The next day, we got booted out of our hotel room at the 8 am checkout. The housekeeping man knocked on the door 3 times in ten minutes (starting at 7:57) asking for us to pay another night if we were going to stay late, even though we were clearly minutes away from leaving. Anyway, so then we grabbed some breakfast and successfully found the bus park and the bus to Margao. Then, we hopped another bus to Palolem and by 2pm, we had checked into our beach shack, and were floating in the Arabian Sea.


The state of Goa is renowned for its beaches, which come in forms ranging from secluded sandy strips to massive party areas with music every night. We picked a long, white-sand beach that was known for its beauty, called Palolem. It was fantastic. If we walked 15 minutes up to the street, there were shops, bars, internet cafes, and delicious restaurants, but down on our corner of the beach it was perfectly quiet. The "Cozy Nook" was right on the end of the beach, with a river, then a peninsula with a rocky island (i) on the other side. We spent the majority of the time reading, swimming, eating, and relaxing. The first full day also included a scooter rental and a sunny, breezy, fun ride out to Patnem, another beach nearby. The second full day included a lovely, solitary, barefoot, thoughtful walk up and down the river, over rocks and out to the island, checking every tidepool and talking to all the birds, dogs, crabs, and fish. That night, I picked up a Ganesh (the Remover of Obstacles) ring and called the cooking lady in Panjim to make sure everything was on schedule for the following day. It was.


On the fourth, we spent the morning on the beach before heading back by buses to Panjim to collect our money from the cooking teacher. We arrived at the office early and she wasn't there. She never came. Her boss accepted no responsibility and was repeatedly talking to someone in whispers over the phone while we waited over an hour in the office. Then I went to the police while Matt stayed at the office to make sure the boss wouldn't leave. The lady had never planned to give our money back. It was a fair bit of money, but that's not even what upsets me. It's the lying, and deliberate thievery from naive foreigners as well as that we lost several days of our trip to this cooking class. I only went to the police in hopes that the lady would get worried and pay us back. Anyway, it was a terrible few hours before we had to leave in a hurry and catch our overnight train to Bombay.

We arrived in town before the sun was up and hopped a taxi to a 24-hour internet cafe, which we intended to make our home for the day. When we found the door locked, we headed to the street for a half a dozen glasses of chai each (total cost $1.50) before checking again and having success. After plenty of skype conversations, I headed out for souvenirs and didn't return until we had to go for our flight to Johannesburg.


The pictures in this post are: Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception Church, Goan architecture and a puppy in the window, peppers drying in the sun, the view from Cozy Nook in Palolem, and Patnem beach.

Mumbai

We arrived in Bombay on the 23rd of February and were thrilled to find a haven in Colaba, the hip, accessible, appealing to tourists (laundry, internet, good and cheap food), middle-class section of town. After we had checked into our tiny hotel room and had a bite to eat, we were on a mission to find enticing used books. We spent hours ogling the titles and rummaging through piles in the stalls surrounding Flora Fountain. The final tally for me was 2 used books traded in, 1 used book received in trade, 1 used book purchased, 2 copy books (literally, photocopied from originals) purchased for a total cost of $8. Fantastic.

The next day was packed with mandatory sightseeing. First we visited Mani Bhavan, Ghandi's house while he was in Mumbai, where we found many dioramas and news clippings in a few tiny rooms valiantly attempting to summarize a monumental life. Then, after a short stroll and some experimentation with local foods (bhelpuri), we located Chowpatty Beach. The popular local hangout was pretty, but the smoggy haze hovering in the air dimmed its beauty and I wouldn't want to touch the water. Nonetheless, the beach view was pleasant and on our other side were the European-styled buildings left over from colonial days. Eventually, we hopped in a taxi to Crawford market, and wandered through the nearby streets for a while before finding out that the market was closed on Sundays. Oh well. Then we hopped another taxi (they're around 50 cents) to the Gateway of India, which was "Erected to Commemorate the Landing in India of Their Imperial Majesties King George V and Queen Mary on the Second of December MCMXI." It was intended to function as every visitor's entrance point to Mumbai. The gateway itself was being restored, but the Taj Palace Hotel was just as imposing and magnificent.

Afterwards, we realized we still had some time before sunset so we headed for walk up the grassy "maidans" near Bombay University where we witnessed dozens of pick-up cricket matches being played with the bowlers standing only a few yards apart. Matt and I both watched in amazement as a batter would smack a ball to the outfield (read: the middle of several other groups games) and immediately, an outfielder would materialize and fling the ball back towards the pitch. There were dozens of cricket balls in the air at any given second! How the players kept the ball, game and team straight, I have no idea. After gawking in amazement for quite some time, a periodically ducking to avoid decapitation, we continued north to see the sun setting on Victoria Terminus. The building was constructed in 1888 and it is a monument to Victorian Gothic (I had to look that up on Wiki) architecture.

The following morning, after breakfast and chores, Matt and I spent a couple of hours researching train times and cooking classes on the internet. After determining when train run to Goa and where we could take a recommended cooking class, we headed up to the station (waited in line forever) and booked our tickets. While grabbing a snack near the station, we recognized a pair of people from the ticket line and chatted together while we ate. We discovered that Moraud was from France and Tina from Australia and they had just met each other in the train station after realizing it was, coincidentally, the first day in India for both of them. The four of us decided to explore the bustling markets together, and we had fun finding our way there and exploring the dense, writhing mass of bargaining humanity. We four foreigners drew a considerable amount of attention when we decided to try sweet paan. The paan is a digestive/sweet/breath-freshener consisting of dried fruits, sweet pastes, and spices wrapped up in a betel leaf bundle which you place in your mouth in its entirety. The paanwalla made our bundles BIG and everyone got a good laugh of us foreigners trying to fit them into our mouths in one piece, drooling sugary goo everywhere, and generally getting ourselves sticky.

We walked until the sun started to set, then hopped a taxi to Colaba where we wandered more and grabbed a drink on the street. Matt and I have found many comfort foods as we've been traveling which make a convenient little treat whenever you're frustrated, lost, tired or bored. One of these is sweet lime soda (fresh lime juice, sugar water, and club soda, introduced to us by Mr. Ericson) which we all tasted before dinner. Matt and I ordered dinner for everyone; our favorite dishes from all over the country, including a savoury navratan korma, a comprehensive thali, and a massive, crispy paper dosa. After dinner, we bid a fond farewell to our new friends and headed home to bed.

The next day, Matt and I had to pack for a train ride later in the day before heading to Elephanta Island. When we boarded the ferry boat to the island, we were happy to find Tina, coincidentally, on our boat. The island is notable for its Hindu temple caves. The shrines were probably cut into the stone around 1000 AD although they were probably unknown to the Western world until the Portuguese discovered them in the 1800's. Although they have suffered a lot of damage, the intricacy of the carvings is still apparent, and the patience and effort that went into their construction is obvious. The best (from a humorous, not artistic standpoint) carving is of the God, Shiva, taking both male and female form simultaneously. So, while it's left half has masculine features, it's right half has delicate, ladylike features including a breast. One can only wonder what the bottom half of the carving looked like before it crumbled. After we returned from the island, Matt and I had to say goodbye to Tina and hurry to catch our overnight train to Aurangabad, from where we would leave to visit the Ajanta Caves.

We arrived in the Aurangabad train station at 5AM on the 27th, and sat down with our packs and some chai to gather our thoughts and figure out how to get to Ajanta. We were only sitting on the bench for a minute until a train pulled in on the track nearest to us, named the Ajanta Express. I knew it would leave in a matter of minutes, so I ran up to a door and asked a passenger if it was going to Ajanta. He said yes. I asked if I could buy a ticket on the train (since previously we had reserved our tickets ahead of time). He said yes. I ran to another door. There was no conductor, but I asked another passenger if the train was going to Ajanta. Yes. I ran back and told Matt we needed to get on the train, and we both grabbed our bags and jumped into the train as it was pulling away. I learned later that the people I asked only understood "englishwordsenglishwords Ajanta englishwordsenglishwords." And because the train WAS called the Ajanta Express, they answered me, "yes." I found out that we were now heading exactly the wrong direction from Ajanta, that the next stop which wasn't in a cornfield was two hours away, that a conductor might turn up any minute and fine me for being on the train without a ticket, and that there are not even train tracks leading to Ajanta.

I won't elaborate on my frustration, the looks I got from Matt, or how we paid dearly to get ourselves out of the situation, but by 1PM, we were climbing up the rock stairs to see the caves.

The site is on a horseshoe-shaped gorge, carved into the rock by the winding River Waghur and the caves are on the nearly-vertical outer wall of the gorge, cut into the stone, with facades and interiors like great stone buildings. They were constructed between 200 BC to 600 AD when they served as Buddhist temples and their obscure location as well as their design aided in their preservation for centuries until they were discovered by a party of foreigners hunting the area in the 1800's.

Matt and I found the paintings, carvings and statues to be absolutely extraordinary, with the colors of the paintings still intact and the intricacy of the carving readily visible. If you were unaware of the age of the site, it would be easy to believe that all the artworks there were created within the last hundred years. While we were there, there were several other groups of tourists as well, but not many foreigners like us. We met several groups of curious friends who either wanted to chat, shake hands or take pictures with us.

After spending several hours in awe, wandering around the caves with our jaws hanging, it was time to head back to Aurangabad for our next train. This time, we did it properly. We sat in the blazing sun on the dusty edge of the road until a packed local bus came by. Two hours later, we were in Aurangabad and after some dinner and some internet, we were on an overnight train again, back to Mumbai. We arrived there early in the morning and grabbed a room in a hostel where we both took a solid nap and a shower, before a brief wander around town, some dinner and another train, down towards Goa.

Pictures on this post are: a parallel-parked ox-cart in the city, multiple pick-up cricket matches in front of Bombay University, a taxi in front of Crawford Market, transgender Shiva, the River Waghur with caves in the cliff walls, my gorgeous new friends, resplendent Buddha in a cave (please note the ceiling artwork, many-Buddha wall carvings, and stone pillars which are not and addition to the cave, but a part of the rock), and one of the surprisingly-old paintings on the cave walls.