Ok, so there is a lot to catch up on so third post ahoy...
Bangalore turned out to be a bit of a treat which was vastly to do with my friends Si and Emily p
utting myself and my friend Jo up for 3 days. This made the world of difference as well as being an incredibly kind thing to do. Emily had to work crazy hours (1pm - midnight each day) so we had Si as our guide for the most part. Bangalore is particularly noted for it's nightlife and eateries (tasty paneer kebabs with satay thank you very much). We also made it to the Lalbagh Botanical Gardens on the first day, which was a pleasant escape from the traffic and fumes and dust, though I did see some monkeys do something unmentionable which turned my already weakened stomach.
Jo and I were the subject of many an Indian family photo though, lots of posing with people at
fountains and various other places. A strange experience but nothing malicious meant of it, just straight-forward curiosity. We also met two really friendly Indian girls from Gujarat who were in Bangalore for marriage (in their own words). They showed us pictures of them in traditional Gujarat dress and talked about their culture and it was the first conversation I had with an Indian person that didn't result in being sold something!
Aside from the stress of trying to figure out what our next destination was (and my flight being cancelled and moved to a much later date) Bangalore was great. In large part to Si and Emily's generosity - thank you both!
On the aforementioned's recommendation, we left the city after 3 days and hop-skipped it to Palolem in Goa to stay in a beach shack and soak up some sunshine. After 2 weeks of cities and traffic this
was a welcome last-minute decision. The beach hut we stayed in was up some treacherous steps but was affordable and an experience- we showered with frogs and lizards and slept under mozzie nets. The beach was fairly quiet (probably due to the terrorism and the problems in Bangkok so the locals told us) but you cannot escape the sellers of jewellery and clothing that comb the beaches all day. They are mostly sweet but very persistent: "You promise, I have been waiting for you. You promised you would come - don't break your promise." and other variations on the above theme.
This beach is very Western and laid back and you can get away with a lot
more in your attire than you can in other places in India and even Goa - walking around in a bikini, shoulders and knees on display. This kind of dress would get you all manner of unwanted attention elsewhere, and it's worth remembering this when you leave.
Ultimately, Palolem was great escapist fun from a very manic couple of weeks. Next time I'm taking Sam there!
Bangalore turned out to be a bit of a treat which was vastly to do with my friends Si and Emily p
utting myself and my friend Jo up for 3 days. This made the world of difference as well as being an incredibly kind thing to do. Emily had to work crazy hours (1pm - midnight each day) so we had Si as our guide for the most part. Bangalore is particularly noted for it's nightlife and eateries (tasty paneer kebabs with satay thank you very much). We also made it to the Lalbagh Botanical Gardens on the first day, which was a pleasant escape from the traffic and fumes and dust, though I did see some monkeys do something unmentionable which turned my already weakened stomach.Jo and I were the subject of many an Indian family photo though, lots of posing with people at
fountains and various other places. A strange experience but nothing malicious meant of it, just straight-forward curiosity. We also met two really friendly Indian girls from Gujarat who were in Bangalore for marriage (in their own words). They showed us pictures of them in traditional Gujarat dress and talked about their culture and it was the first conversation I had with an Indian person that didn't result in being sold something!Aside from the stress of trying to figure out what our next destination was (and my flight being cancelled and moved to a much later date) Bangalore was great. In large part to Si and Emily's generosity - thank you both!
On the aforementioned's recommendation, we left the city after 3 days and hop-skipped it to Palolem in Goa to stay in a beach shack and soak up some sunshine. After 2 weeks of cities and traffic this
was a welcome last-minute decision. The beach hut we stayed in was up some treacherous steps but was affordable and an experience- we showered with frogs and lizards and slept under mozzie nets. The beach was fairly quiet (probably due to the terrorism and the problems in Bangkok so the locals told us) but you cannot escape the sellers of jewellery and clothing that comb the beaches all day. They are mostly sweet but very persistent: "You promise, I have been waiting for you. You promised you would come - don't break your promise." and other variations on the above theme.This beach is very Western and laid back and you can get away with a lot
more in your attire than you can in other places in India and even Goa - walking around in a bikini, shoulders and knees on display. This kind of dress would get you all manner of unwanted attention elsewhere, and it's worth remembering this when you leave.Ultimately, Palolem was great escapist fun from a very manic couple of weeks. Next time I'm taking Sam there!
No comments:
Post a Comment