Photo upload: Curitiba

Here's a few photos from our days in Curitiba. 

We didn't meet the people of the Brazilian camper,  but I thought it was one of the coolest looking campervans I'd ever seen. Or, as they'd say in Brazil: Legal!

I had seen the Curitiba transport system in a book years ago,  here's a bus shelter/paying/boarding tube for the buses.

We dined wonderfully well with our local friends in Curitiba.  This restaurant in the city centre didn't mess around,  the menu changed daily with Mondays alreadys being always the same,  Tuesdays always the same,  Wednesdays... you get the idea? You could order something else,  but it seemed noboby did. You had to wait for a table,  and everything was as basic as the menu, but the food was 'home style good'.

We met some people in Curitiba who were crafting wonderful things,  and buildings,  from Bamboo. H bought some bamboo pieces cut to size and made our bed more comfortable for me.

Budget travel, overland.

Sometimes I get a little frustrated with the other overlanders. Just like backpackers they seem often to be in competition to see who can travel the cheapest. 

When I was a backpacker I remarked that I often heard a backpacker, in places like Guatemala, Peru, Asia, say something like 'the locals think we're all rich, but I'm not!'. I'd reply with something like 'fact of the matter is that you've spent so much on getting here, money that they'd love to have for practical purposes .... so, of course you are rich compared to them'. 

Likewise I see overlanders spending thousands on vehicle shipping, adding airfares, and then constantly complaining that things are expensive. 

At Christmas, many complained about paying 150 Argentine pesos ARS ($16-23USD depending on how you changed your money) for a campsite, but I believe it was worth it for the common area with fireplace to chat the evening away and the lovely hot hot showers. 

Then there were the overlanders waiting to sneak into 'Tierra del Fuego' national park after 8pm. When we said we were going to the park the next day we were asked 'why not go in with the others tonight?'. I replied that I didn't think it was unreasonable to be charged 110 ARS per person (a price that allows 2 nights free stay). We had identified 3 vehicles waiting in the municiple campsite (free, but no facilities) to go in after 8. The next day we entered the park and I smiled when we discovered that the others had all been caught and ordered to pay, and by waiting they'd missed the first day or part of it (whereas we entered in the morning and could still have 2 nights, they'd entered late and had that night and one more).

The other common gripe is just the price of general expenses: fuel and groceries. Fuel is cheaper in Argentina than Chile. And groceries are cheaper too if you converted dollars at the better (dolar blue) rate. But the prices aren't expensive, especially with the extremity of things considered. I think to buy fuel (diesel) for 70c - 95c per litre at 'the end of the earth (Ushuaia)' is in itself a 'wow'. Even to pay $1.25 on the Chilean side isn't horrendous, it's actually surprisingly good. 

Then consider produce. This isn't the best climate for growing much fruit and vegetables, so much of it is brought in. Yet I bought (in Punta Arenas, Chile) tomatoes for $1.60 per kilo, a lettuce for $1.90, a mango (from Peru) for 70c, minced beef $9.50 per kilo and wine is really cheap, starting at about $3 for a bottle. So, again, it's not terribly expensive. 

And to those travellers complaining that the entry price of some attractions is three times what the guide book says (published a few years ago, and no doubt  researched before that...), well, we can go home if we don't like it. BUT, imagine being an Argentine and living with 25-35% inflation each year. Argentine friends tell me that their price of bread is now 10 times what it was a couple of years ago. At least we've got choices, I'm sure it's harder on the locals. 

$ indicated are converted to USD. 

Arrived in Buenos Aires, but it had looked doubtful

Well I made it. But it had looked like I mightn't. 

Firstly I had a massive headache from Thursday evening until I went to the doctor on Monday and got a prescription. On Monday morning I'd been in a bad way, I was frustrated about the headache and thinking there was no way I could take my Tuesday flights. But the doc fixed it. 

Then on check-in at the airport it was demanded that proof of a ticket for onward travel be shown. Lots of countries have this rule, but on previous travels I've gotten away with not needing to show any evidence. I was (am) travelling on a one way ticket. 

Here's a scenario where having booked through a travel agent comes in handy. I was able to call up the travel agent office and have a ticket produced and emailed to me. They were super efficient. That ticket would be cancelled by now. 

In reality I'll be leaving Argentina by road into Chile, then returning, and leaving, etc as I make my way South, eventually I think I'll be going to Brazil (and for that I'll need a visa but its too early for that now). I definitely have no intention of staying here (I still call Australia home), but I couldn't put a date on a return ticket and so I'd have to pay to change it... And maybe I'll be flying home from North America or elsewhere. 

My flights were with Virgin Australia and Aerolineas Argentinas. Aerolineas were better than reviews would have suggested although the entertainment wasn't good. On Virgin I had to dust crumbs from my seat before I sat down. 

Minimising Jetlag

Do some Internet research on Jetlag and you'll find lots of suggestions and no guarantees. I drank as much water as I could before and during the flight, thus annoying the person beside me in the aisle seat as I would make regular toilet trips (which has an added advantage of getting a person moving) and then head to the back of the plane for another 2 glasses of water. Both times meals were served I ordered an orange juice and a water as well. I also took a multi vitamin before boarding. I think I'm doing okay. 

Arrival in Buenos Aires

The robbery in Spain has left me a little less independent. I took the taxi transfer from the airport, because I was a little scared of the hassle of walking alone after taking a bus. 

I'd only just checked in when my friend arrived to take me for dinner. It was wonderful to catch up, but after 2 hours I had to get myself to bed, I was super exhausted. 

It's my second time in BA, so there hasn't been a big need for sightseeing, although I did go to see The Flower for the second time. It still doesn't work (it used to open and close), but its still wonderful. 

Latino underwear

I first accommodation has been in a female dorm room in a hostel. My other roommates were Argentine. I had a reminder about why it's important to bring comfortable undies to Latin America. I mean, when big girls are wearing such skimpy pieces of floss to sleep in an all girls dorm, what hope is there? I was uncomfortable seeing it, it sure looked uncomfortable for her. 

Travels: Kuala Lumpur

My last stop of this trip, and really, I'm so 'over' sightseeing that I didn't do anything with a cost to it aside from seeking out a few highly recommended meals. 

To me KL is all about shopping (and eating), and since I don't like shopping it's never had a lot of appeal. But I took a look at the shops and markets anyway. 

I had already googled whether the shopping was better in Bangkok or KL and discovered that Bangkok is cheaper but KL better for brand names: both real and knock-offs. 

I've never understood people's want for branded stuff. I'm talking about all those top high-end fashion brands. 

To me it sends a message of stupidity and vanity to be buying either the fake or the real goods. I'd never want people to think I was crazy or vain enough to spend lots-of-money on an item marked Gucci, Louis Vuitton, or any other top name. Nor would I want them to think I was simply vain enough to spend less money on a knock off that wasn't what it says it is. 

I did manage to find (and buy) a Malaysian made and designed bag that wasn't pretending to be anything that it wasn't. 

Other than that I also bought some tea, as I know I'll enjoy its benefits. 

Room with a view: Migrant tents.

As I write this I am sitting on a rough unkept balcony, probably just 60cm wide, that is at the end of the corridor of my hotel floor. It's in Palumpur.

I chose the hotel not for the niceness of the rooms (at $7 it's very basic) but for this view. It's of a temporary migrant camp.

The hotel manager tells me they are Rajasthani's (and I'm proud to say that I thought this as soon as I saw the decorated women), and they are here for the summer. They will work in agriculture here and return to hot Rajasthan for the winter.

It is easy to see that the camp is newly established for the season. It's on the banks of a mountain stream (oh, yes, I have a view of the Himalayas too, but it's not nearly as interesting...). Old rubbish (from last season) appears washed and caught (in trees, etc). There isn't much new rubbish yet. This is how i can see its a camp that been newly re-established.

In a country where there isn't yet much waste disposal for the wealthy, there certainly is less facility for the likes of these people. I expect that I am lucky to be seeing the view now instead of at the end of the season, when the rubbish would be more visual.

Unfortunately the dumped rubbish mostly will be washed downstream when there is rain.

The scene down below is rather active. The tents are made from heavy black plastic supported by bamboos and cut branches.

I counted and there are 110-120 tents in my view. They range from about 2 x 3 metres to about 5 x 5 metres. Some are grouped in compounds of 2 to 4 tents. Where there are 2 tents together one appears to be for sleeping and the other for cooking and other household activities; so I guess there are at least 50 families here.

I can see 2 buildings of corrugated iron. One appears to be a toilet/bathroom and I expect you would have to pay to use it. So, toilet activities are probably performed in the surrounding bushes and washing done with water from the stream. (It's snow fed and so quite clean). I can't decide on what the other corrugated iron building is for.

All and all, it all looks rather pleasant (aside from the lack of bathroom facilities). It has an air about it like going camping for leisure. I hear music. I see men chatting, children playing games, and women ... Well the women must be inside cooking dinner now as mostly they seem to have disappeared from the scene.

I'd love to go down for a closer look, but that would be too intrusive. I'm so pleased to have this view!
9 April 2013.

Travels: Amritsar

Amritsar is famous for the Golden Temple, which is the most important of all Sikh temples in the world. Many Sikhs make a pilgrimage there but the religion is also accepting of visitors of all faiths and nationalities.

The temple has a kitchen that feeds some 50,000 people a day (this figure needs verification, but I'd believe it), and free dormitory accommodation for anybody that wants it.

I ate at the free dinning hall 3 times, each time the company varied and I really enjoyed it.
The first time I sat beside a German backpacker; she showed me the actual kitchens where we wondered through taking photos and as she was staying in the temple dormitory she showed me that too (I stayed in a hotel as it hadn't occurred to me to stay at the temple, and then I had a cold anyway so it was probably better that I didn't stay in the dorm as it was rather cramped.)
The second time I sat beside a young Amritsar local, a Hindu, who ate there with his friends every day.
And the third time I sat with a young Sikh from Delhi who had come to Amritsar on completion of his English exam and was enjoying a break. He kindly showed me some other Sikh temples of Amritsar. He hopes to apply to move to Australia to study.

I really don't believe in a free lunch, so I donated to the temple for this privilege of eating for free.

The temple itself is beautiful, but, moreover, the complex has a special spiritual feeling. It put an immense smile on my face each and every time I went there.

The other 'entertainment' to do while staying in Amritsar is to go to the Indian-Pakistani border crossing and witness the daily ceremony of closing the gate at sundown. For foreigners seeing the spectacle of high leg kicks and theatrics it is amusing and kind of laughable. But for the Indians it is a patriotic experience (so we were told).

Looking across to the Pakistani side they have a similar display with less audience. What most grabbed my attention was that on the Pakistani side the women were fully segregated from the men. I was glad not to be traveling there alone.

I loved my stay in Amritsar, and the north of India is proving much nicer and easier than the south.

Travels: Agra

From Jaipur to Agra I travelled with others in a private taxi because I wanted to stop at Chand Baori in the village of Abhaneri (http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chand_Baori) and the others wanted to stop at
Fatehpur Sikri. Both were well worth the stop. (Although I did curse the removal of shoes in religious buildings here when I stood on a lit Beedi (a type of cheap local cigarette). I yelped too, it really hurt.)

Of course, the main reason for visiting Agra is to see and visit the Taj Mahal. It is every bit as beautiful as one can expect it to be. Absolutely splendid!
I enjoyed it immensely, although it was Holi holiday for Indians and inside was way too crowded for me to enjoy.

When my friends and I first arrived in Agra it was about 4pm. So we had to get checked into our hotels, and get to the Taj -fast! I had called ahead and booked my friend and I into a hotel with rooftop restaurant views of the Taj. The room was very basic, just $14 for the 2 of us, but we both were delighted when we got our first view of the Taj from our hotel room window! We hot footed it to the Taj with more than enough time to enjoy it.

The Taj Mahal was, for me, the absolute must see sight of India. It didn't disappoint me.

Travels: Jodhpur

I had just 2 nights in Jodhpur. The fort is wonderful, and the city is interesting and worth a visit for sure.

We tried to visit the palace too (just for a coffee), but the cover charge is Rs2000 per person.

My friend and I stayed at Yogis guest house. The buses to and from Jodpur were not female friendly... The only rest stop made didn't seem to account for any woman's need to use a toilet!

Travels: Mt Abu

I traveled to Mt Abu, Rajasthan's highest peak, with a Polish woman I had met in Udaipur. In the bus we met a German woman and we all teamed up. Ironically I left Mt Abu with the German, as the Polish girl wanted more time there.

The German and I went on a guided hike. I was happy to be hiking (finally), but the guide (a young man named Harsh) paid more attention to his phone screen than to us and for that I certainly let him know my disappointment. There was potential to see bears, but I felt our guide didn't even try.

Mt Abu is a honeymoon spot for Indians. It has a lake, sunset viewing, and was nice due to the lack of hassle.

It also is home to a major international religious movement which my Lonely Planet guide book made sound interesting, but we went to the ashram and its museum and I found it a bit strange. Later a local described it as being a cult. Another local said they hypnotize people.

Oh, and Mt Abu has a very nice coffee shop (like a western style shop), with Wifi, and nice owners... I just can't remember the name.

Breast clenching

I clench my breasts firmly with one arm and hand as the other hand holds tightly to the rough riding rickshaw. Maybe, if only for the sake of this 10 minutes this would have been a good day to have worn my sports bra.

I think maybe it is an inappropriate action (holding my breasts), but what does it matter? I am leaving town and nobody here will see me again.

I arrive at the bus station. My ticket, for seat no.8 is promptly taken one direction while I am directed to go to the back of my bus to stow my backpack. When my ticket is returned to me the 8 has been crossed out and replaced with 17 and I am instructed that is my seat. I rebuke this. I requested a front seat: I like them better and I get motion sick in the back.

Nobody seams to speak English other than to tell me seat 17, and to request 10 rupees for the impatient man who wrestled my luggage from me. I tell them i'll be sick in the back of the bus. They smile. I mime vomiting to every bodies amusement, but they are still smiling and waggling their heads. I give the 10 rupees (although I don't want too, but fear my pack will be removed if I don't and its less than 20 cents. The Indians stowing luggage are not asked to pay anything), and get on the bus. I sit in seat 8.

Eventually a man comes and tells me it is his seat. I say it was mine, but it was changed and I will not sit up the back, as I will be sick. (I can't actually guarantee this, but I'd prefer not to test the theory).

A young Indian man who speaks English comes to my rescue. Where do you want to sit he asks. "Any place I won't be sick". He offers I can sit beside him, and goes to fix things with the company. I am very grateful.

This is just one of the reasons why traveling in India is so horrible and exhausting. I mean, there are wonderful things to see, but independently this is a tough country.

Travels: Udaipur

Udaipur! Wow, I had an entire 6 nights there but only because it was so easy to do so that I thought I should hang out for Lord Shivas (of Hindu faith) Birthday party on 10 March.

As it turned out, the party wasn't much chop, I didn't get to dance, and I was back in my room at 10.30.

I stayed in 3 different places in Udaipur and finally found the most comfy bed in India (well, of those in budget hotels I've been checking)... And with a terrace overlooking the lake too!

The main attraction, the city palace, wasn't nice for me: I don't like tunnels, corridors or crowds. So, being in a small corridor with noisy slow moving Indians just gave me feelings of anxiety. I'm told that it is a nice place... But I couldn't get the niceness due to my inner 'get me out!' feelings.

Best Accom: Naylee Haveli at Sunset View restaurant. They seem to have just 2 nice rooms, but no other clients!

Travels: Ahmedabad

I found myself a nice comfy hotel in Ahmedabad... Which is a good thing since I got sick and had to stay an extra day and night.

It was a case of vomiting followed by of diarrhoea and I couldn't figure out what wrong thing I had eaten, but then a person who I had met the evening before I'd come down with it got this vomiting and diarrhoea also and I realise now that it was probably viral.

But, aside from that I liked Ahmedabad's tourist attractions; it's hard to like the city itself though ... It's noisy, busy and polluted.

It is where Ghandi had his ashram, and for me this was reason enough to visit. Moreover, there is a wonderful textile museum and a cool step well - all worth visiting.

I do recommend a stop in Ahmedabad , if you are in the area.

Accommodation: Hotel Volga.

Brave woman or brave women?

Here is something that happened to me a while back:

I was sitting in a 3rd class train compartment, accompanied by a retired university lecturer who spoke English and and elderly lady who did not speak English. Both were Indian and she was typical for her generation: sari, glass bracelets, gold jewellery.

The man chatted to me about where he was going and what I was doing. The old lady, via the man, asked if I was travelling alone. Yes.

She told the man that I was very brave. It is a common view here.

I gave my head a brief shake. "No," I said, "the Indian woman who marries a man she doesn't know is brave".

He knew I was referring to arranged marriages which are still common today. He didn't translate it back to her. He replied "it's not so like that these days, now they do get to spend some time with the man before the wedding. But," he said considering the old lady for a moment , "in her generation she would very possibly never have met her husband prior to her wedding day."

I think that is a much scarier prospect than travelling alone.

Adding to this I have a an Australian-Indian friend who is visiting India to meet the ladies (I was told of 4) that his parents have arranged for him to meet. If one is chosen (and i am told that it isn't all up to him, she can refuse) how well can they really know each other in the short time they'll have with him here? (He is booked for a 3 week stay.) Adding to this she'll be moving away from her family and friends to another country.

Brave Indian women, that's what I see.

Travels: Aurangabad, Ajanta & Ellora

From Nasik I continued on to Aurangabad. This town, for me, was simply a convenient resting place while I visited the nearby World Heritage Sites of Ajanta and Ellora.

Both are a series of caves and temples hand carved into the side of an escarpment for the point of worship of the Hindu, Buddhist, and Jain faiths. Both are well worth the visit and I did both of the day tours with Classic tours. For Ajanta we were lucky enough to score a guide as we had more than 10 people, but we weren't so lucky for Ellora.

Both sites are mind boggling. I couldn't help but wonder how many lives must have been lost whilst building these places of worship.

Not only were the tours handy for getting to these sites, but I got to meet lots of other travels, particularly solo, and trade some advice.

Thank you to the first rickshaw for ripping me off!

When I first arrived in Ahmedabad a kind local lady who had befriended me on the bus arranged a rickshaw for me and sent me following him to his rickshaw, calling out "be sure he resets the meter to zero" as I disappeared around the corner.

I clambered into the rickshaw, always an ungraceful action when I have both a backpack and front pack, and promptly forgot the last bit of advice from my new friend. I had just finished a sleepless night on a 15 hour overnight bus so my ability to remember a single thing was clearly removed. I was also unfamiliar with the new system here, so I couldn't even recognise a meter.

When we arrived I asked what I owed, the man indicated a meter which said 365 and pulled out a chart to establish that the bill was to be 160 rupees. I knew it was too much, but it was an affordable error and I just wanted to find a room. Besides, what could I do? I paid.

I figured he had either a) not reset the meter at the start (it's distance based), b) had a dodgy chart or c) driven me the long way ... after all, we had crossed the river twice (see I was tired but still paying attention).

I could, in future, fix the first option by demanding a reset at the start. I requested a copy of the chart from my hotel reception for future trips. And the third option... Well, not much I could do other than to try to know where I was going to start with.

So, on future trips I insisted on travelling with a meter and it being reset. My first journey was offered by drivers for Rs150 but when I got the meter used the bill was 50. On my second and subsequent trips the driver just told me the meter reading in clear hope that I would pay that amount. And, I probably would have if the first driver had-of reset the meter and done the same (and I would have thought 'gee, rickshaws are pricey here'). But thanks to him, I had a chart. So, despite language barriers I was able to look at the meter, see 142, see this meant 64 rupees, and pay the guy 70.

So thanks driver number one, you've saved me!

Photos: Bijapur

Cricket, chiseled rock for stumps.

Cricket bat manufacture and sales beside the road.

Gol Gumbaz.... beautiful in form and acoustics.

Photo's: Hampi

Hampi is beautiful and interesting

A view of the countryside.

Cycling for the day with my French friend.

Sunset through the Frangipani from the Hanuman Temple.

 Looking across the rice paddy fields to where I stayed.

Love it!

Crowd surfing on Mumbai trains

I might be traumatised by this. Certainly when I saw a crowded train the next day I said 'Louise, can you go without me?' , but then the women's compartment wasn't anywhere near full so I got in...

On Saturday when Louise and I were out sightseeing (Mumbai) we caught a busy suburban train. As is often the way here we had to push our way into the carriage as it really was full already.
But, being that it was full, I got in but not really very far in. At the next stop almost everybody is departing. Indian trains don't wait (I guess they can't, the Indians just keep coming so they'd never get away), so everybody rushes and pushes to get off. I'm in the middle, holding on up the top, trying desperately to hold my ground and not be forced off. It was scary. They keep coming like I'm not there and they can walk through me. My feet even come off the floor, but I'm still hanging on up top ! Somehow I managed to hold on and stay on the train.

Taxi's are cheap enough, unless I have company I don't think I will do another suburban train.

Mumbai, though, has been a nice experience. (5 nights, 1 in horrible cheap hotel, 4 with friends, 21-26 Feb).
Most interesting was the visit to the Dharavi slum... That's a lot of people and industry in one small area (I read different reports but its something like 175 hectares, over 1 million people). We went on a tour that gives back 80% of profits to a NGO. The polluted creek brought tears to my eyes. It smelt terrible and the water was a strange blue.

Notes: The tour was with Reality Tours. Lots of other operators pretend to be them, but when we couldn't find them we called them and booked directly. It was worth it.

Transport strike

Aye aye aye aye...
It is 20 Feb and I am in a town called Bijapur, and there is a bus strike. I saw it on the news last night but since I had been at the bus station at 6pm making enquiries and the news report was only referencing it to the cities I figured my intended bus would still be running.

So I got ready early, got to the bus station and found nothing happening. Just a lot of staff hanging around. One was kind enough to tell me that it was about fuel prices and so the trains would still be running. So I have come to the train station.

My destination is Mumbai. I need to be there tomorrow to meet Louise, so although I had thought of stopping on the way, with the transport strike I have decided to go the whole way.

The direct train was sold out. So now I will change 3 times to get there. But at least I have a solution.

I have a 2 hour wait for the first train... But at least the train is quicker than the bus. So I leave 2.5 hrs later and arrive just 1 hour later.

Btw, Bijapur is well worth stopping in, people are really pleasant and the main sight Gul Gumbaz is awesome, particular if you can get there before the noisy Indians (it opens 6am, I got there at 8, and with just me, a man singing, and another man the whispering gallery sounds were splendid. Then a crowd of noisy Indians arrived.)

Tattooing at 6

Yesterday, in Hampi, I met a fruit seller. I had been admiring the simple work of a young woman as she decorated the dirt floor of the gateway of a guesthouse by making a design on the ground with white powder (as described in a previous post, called Colom).

The fruit seller had simple English, "my daughter" she said with a smile.

This turned my attention to the fruit seller. She had tattoos on her face, faded teardrop shapes going sideways from the outer edge of both eyes and more of these on her chin. I understand these were done when she was about 6. Her forearms and hands were also covered in designs, similar to those done in henna tattooing, but real tattoos, faded grey. She said she got these at 10. She said it with sadness.
I asked her if the tattoos on her arms were for marriage. I will never know if we fully understood each other, but she said yes. Selling fruit in the tourist part of Hampi meant she could speak some English.

Her oldest child was the one doing the decorations, she is 15. Her youngest is a baby that she breastfed while we were there. She has 7 children. Although she looked older, she said she is 32. Selling fruit in the sun and having 7 children could make a person look older.

I hope her daughters have a better life. I think they will.

I didn't take any photos as I didn't want to make a spectacle of this. But I did buy some fruit.