Big Spender

I went to the Agra Fort yesterday, it was only 2km from my hostel so I opted to walk rather then take a rickshaw.

View from outside the Agra (red) Fort

The fort, although it had an expensive entrance 300rs($6.50), was fell worth the money. It is a huge castle like fortress and one of the main attractions in Agra. The well persevered red brick walls that towered over twenty meters high make me wish I could have seen it back in it's prime days. I spent most the afternoon there wondering around, talking, and taking pictures, with random people. I couldn't help but think while looking around how much my brother Byron would love to see this up close as he's always been the one in my family with the strongest appreciate for history.

Me at the Taj Mahal

This morning I had my alarm set for 5:30am, I had to see the Taj Mahal! During sunrise before the crowds seemed like the best plan of attack. It almost hurt paying the 750rs entrance fee when you see Indians only paying 20rs for the exact same thing, but that's good old racist India for you. India likes to segregate everyone as much as possible, both race and sex. I know there are reasons for this but it still bothers me, anyhow that's a rant for another time.


The Taj Mahal was a glorious site! The pictures can't do it justice, the sheer size and amount of dedication that went into this ultimate monument to love is astounding! I lost track of time on the grounds, after walking around I just sat and watched the main building, just soaking in all the architecture that has fascinated so many people for hundreds of years. One of the seven wonders of the world only meters in front of me.

I should probably book some trains soon as my flight is coming up and I'm still quite far from Mumbai. Hmm.. on the other hand... I am hungry and ordering food is easier then planning future travels..

Hello Sushi.. erm Bangalore..

I arrive in Bangalore early in the morning. When the rickshaw drivers see me with my pale skin and large bags they all rush over hoping to get some nicely inflated fares from me. I ask the first one how much it would be to MG rd., 450rs he says! I don’t mind bargaining for a price but there is a point where it just gets offensive. I walk away after laughing at him to the next driver. The fair goes down to 350rs, still well above what a local would pay. On the third or four drivers I spoke to I finally got a reasonable offer, 250rs (the government ‘fixed’ rate). After a bit of work I get him down to 180rs and off we go to MG rd. ‘the heart of the city’.

First sushi night with some friends

The hotel I checked into was double what I paid in Kovalam and less than half as nice, I suppose that’s the price you pay for its connivance and location right on the downtown strip. While walking downtown to scope things out and get a drink I hear a couple people shouting “Simon, hey simon over here!” I look over and see the three I stayed with in Fort Kochi (Kochin) before I left for the ashram. I find it amazing how when I travel to new places full with millions of strangers I still run into friends I’ve met before; it’s happened so many times already and I’m sure it will again as I head up north.


For those of you wondering... I did get sushi, twice! I ate at India’s most highly regarded sushi bar on top of the ‘UB’ high fashion mall. The food was amazing as was the atmosphere. The doors must have stood at least twenty feet tall with huge stone statues and waterfalls inside. Sure the single ‘all-you-can-eat’ sushi meal cost me almost all of my budget for the day, but it was worth every penny.. or umm every rupee..

Eating India's finest sushi

With the satisfying feeling of sushi in my stomach it was time to book a train onwards to Hampi. All the travel agent said they couldn’t get space on a train so I decided to just book it myself with the help of www.cleartrip.com. My ticket for the 14 hour train journey came out to 157rs ($3.5). It’s funny how the train rides are now cheaper than the taxi to and from the train stations. (The overnight train rides which I’m a huge fan of will actually save you a good amount of money as they replace the hotel for the night)

I’ve heard Hampi is like Narnia meets Star Wars, I’m looking forward to renting a motorbike and exploring the ruins.

I'm on a boat!

We just finished our three day/two night trip on the houseboat through the backwaters in Kerala, India. 

It was an amazing experience. Our boat had the lower level with the two bedrooms with attached bathrooms, a common area with an LCD tv, and the captains seat. The upper level was a large sheltered deck, which is where we spent most our time.


There are so many little stories to recall, I'll try writting some out in future posts. For now here are some pictures from the trip.

Day 16: Touring Goa

Today was the birthday of one of the girls at our hostel so four of us booked a taxi and driver for the entire day and drove around Goa. 

We found a small monastery that has a waterfall behind it and we were able to go down into the water. Shortly after some of the locals where sending offerings down the river from the monastery. I’m never quite sure what the boundaries are as a foreigner because they will never be posted/explained ahead of time and seem to vary depending on so many variables. Luckily, people at the monastery didn’t seem to mind us going in the water by the waterfall where they were sending their offerings from at the time.

The best memories of today where the little things, singing in the car, playing drinking games on the beach, creating new ways to distract local hawkers, a grand supper of over twenty people at one table followed by hours of great conversation around a Hookah on the oceanside with some travelers from England.

I am still waiting for my insulin pump to arrive but my booking at this hostel has ended a while ago. The hostel owner made arrangements so that I could stay longer, but with tomorrow fully booked it looked like I would have to check out until two of the girls offered me one of their beds for the night so that I don’t have to move hostels. I love the backpacker community here at Evershine in Anjuna, Goa.

Hoping I get my insulin pump soon as I would like to meet some other travelers who are heading south to Kerala for a houseboat trip on the backwaters.

Day 2: Mumbai gets better

I only slept for 2-3 hours last-night. Finally got out of bed after laying there for hours and tried to get into the shower. After waiting for what seemed like forever I finally got in, I hate common bathrooms. Not only do I have to squat on for the toilets, but I also have to squat to fit in the shower.

Gateway of India

After getting that out of the way I took a taxi with Nathan to the Gateway of India, I hailed it right in-front of the traffic cops so he would have to use the meter. A note to those traveling to this area, the men 'selling postcards' by the Gateway of India are actually drug dealers, which get very annoying. We boarded a boat for Elephanta Islands which cost 160rs($3.50) return plus 250rs($5.50) to enter. It started to pour rain as we got off the boat but stopped just as we arrived at the entrance. After buying some roasted corn-on-the-cob and a cheap drink we headed in.

We where than confronted with a monkey. He grabbed for my corn but I was hungry so I avoided his attack and he went for Nathan's instead. I ended up loosing mine a couple minutes later when confronted with several more hungry monkey thieves. Lesson learned I thought, don't eat around monkeys. A little ways up in the boiling humid heat I pull out my drink, not a second later a monkey flys through the air and grabs it! He then proceeded to unscrew the top and drink my earlier purchase.


After arriving back from the island we wondered around the tourist area and came upon a McDonalds, sorry but there food is intense and I needed a break. On the way out I stopped to talk with two others who looked slightly out of place. They were 22 year old female backpackers from the Netherlands, after our short chat they decided to join us on our search for a game of cricket. We didn't find cricket, but they turned out to be great company. We spend the evening on Mumbai's watershore. The sound of the waves and friendly conversation were almost enough to drown out the non-stop taxi honking and general noise that is Mumbai.

My fellow travelers!

It's about time I move on to another city. I payed for an additional night at my hostel, 775rs($17) to figure out where I am going and to get some train tickets tomorrow.

I will miss those who I've met and experienced Mumbai with over the past couple days, but with new places comes new friendships.