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You can lose everything, but nobody will take away what you saw and what you experienced...
............ 
Feb 24, 2007 07:00 PM Havelock Island - my tropical Paradise
It is the archipelago of 572 tropical islands - but only 36 of them are inhabited... Incredible corals and color fish, great diving and snorkeling. Deserted beaches and still limited acommodation and tourist services... Andamans became famous... More and more people come here - that's why it is not easy to find a bed in the guesthouse...
The beach next to the camp where I spent my last night was called by TIME magazine "the best beach in Asia". Out from my hoprrible tent I was laying there on the sand at 4 am looking into dissapearing stars.
The beach is really wide and nice. And I did not see there any destruction caused by the famous tsunami - two years ago...
I moved to the opposite side of the island - to The "Eco Villa".
It was also full but friendle fellow from Israel invaited me to share his hut (thanks a lot Guy!). They charge here 300 rp per hut - 10 m from the lovely beach, under palms and mango trees. I was swimming in the crystal-clear water. The I took a walk - visiting villages, taking pictures of the local people... They are very nice...
Yes, this is one of these marvelous places on earth...
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Feb 23, 2007 07:00 PM I reached legendary Andaman Islands
Since a long time it was my drem to see the Andamans... Today in the morning in Madras airport I boarded a flight to the capital of the Archipelago of Anadaman - Port Blair. It is not popular destination - half of the plane was empty... After two hours over the blue ocean I saw in the window couple of green islands... Soon we landed in the little, empty airport. It was hot and humid. Foreigners nee special permit to stay here - but it is now just the formality - we filled the form and got the permit printed on the computer printer in 5 minutes. I reachech one more destination of my dreams...
I was reading that Port Blair is just one of Indian Provincial towns - nothing special - so I decided to take a moto-rickshaw from the airport to the jetty - it cost me 40 rp after bargaining... At the gate of the port they said: yes there is ferry departing to the Havelock Island at 2 pm but all tickets are sold... What should I do?
Somebody said: go to the ship and ask the crew! I went there - in the little space of the share there was waiting more people hoping that they will convince sailors to take them anyway!
It works! I paid 200 rp and they allowed me to board the ship... We departed soon... After 2.5 hours sailing in the blue ocean we reached Halelock Island jetty. Police checked our permits... Rickshaw took me to the to the GH. It was full! Next also full and the others also!
It was dark around when I found the only available accommodation: little tent on the campsite
at no.7 village (villages have no names here but numbers). It was horrible night in the hot, crampy tent without the materass, with mosquitoes... No water at all in the campsite - sea water at the beach only!
Sometimes have you pay high price to make your dreams true!
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Feb 22, 2007 07:00 PM The great temple of Madurai
Tourists are coming to Madurai for the famous Hindu Temple of Sri Meenakshi. You will set its 12 highly decorated towers - gopurams from the distance... The highest rises to 45 - 50 m. If you will come closer you will see that each tower is adorned by thousands of carvings of celestial and animal figures. It seems like a big "kitch" - but it Hindu art and is hard to see other such a place in the world...
Entering you must leave you shoes at the gate. It is free but the "donation" of 5 rp will be apprecciated... Socks are not allowed, so you will go barefoot to the wide courtyard. There is a "hall of 1000 pillars" converted into museum (entry fee 5 rp only) but much more interesting is to go into the inner temple to watch how the people pray there and do offerings. Regarding the atmosphere it is one of the most impressive temples I saw in my life... Flowers, candels, priests, smoke in the dark corridors and the sculptures of the Gods...
I spent in The Sri Meenakshi Temple more then 3 hours...
In the afternoon I visited other interesting place: Tirumalai Nayak Palace built in 17th century. They charge from foreigners 50 rp for entry here (10 rp from locals). The courtyard of the palace with giant colums is enormous - it is one of the most imposing palaces in Asia... Sorry - it requires restoration...
The museum of Mahatma Ghandi lies on the other side of the river - quite far - so I took the cyclo rickshaw to get there - it is free with interesting display of Ghandi life and the history of India...
Tonight I took again the Indian train to get to Chennai - and I believe that tomorrow I will catch my flight to the Andamans!
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Feb 21, 2007 07:00 PM South India by bus...
Train gives you here more comfort then those junk buses. But sometimes the choice is limited. This is a long way around the mountains by train from Cochin to Madurai. There is only a road climbing the range of West Ghats and there are 3 buses per day departing from Cochin-Ernakulam station to Madurai. The ticket cost 162 rupees.
This is semi-deluxe service - it means there is no a/c but there is glass in the windows (it could be hard to close or to open some of them). It took me 9 hours to move by such a semi-deluxe to Madurai. The landscapes on the route are beautiful. And when you reach the pass it is very pleasantly cool there. Is you are overheated it is possible to stay there in the little guesthouses... There are plantantions of the tea and spice gardens.
Before we reached Madurai I saw also many interesting rock formations. When the bus landed at the new bus station on the outskirts of Madurai I found motocycle rickshaw to take me to the center of this provincial (more then 1 million people) city. I can recommend TM Lodge close to the railway station - they charge only 200 rp per clean single room with fan and bath and 340 for twin... But there are no mosquito nets in the windows so I found my very useful... Bring your with you!
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Feb 20, 2007 07:00 PM India - in enchanting Kerala...
I am in Cochin (or Kochi). It is very hot and humid... Indian ladies from Kerala are very pretty... That's nice... But there is a lot of stinking garbage on the streets - it is bad and sad... It is still country of the big contrasts...
In the morning I was walking around the Fort Cochin, visiting old churches and the palace once presented by Portugeese to the local raja.
Kerala state has a lot of backwaters - rivers and channels. Local tourist office offers inexpensive tour to the backwaters. It will cost much more then 350 rupees if you will decide to go there on your own and to rent a boat... There were only 9 people on this tour - they took us by minibus to the distant village - little boat was waiting there and we sail through the narrow channels enjoying the scenery, watching the countrylife. The local guide was pointing many exotic terees and plants. Then in the village there explained how they made the solid strings from coconut fibre and the mats from the leaves of pandanus palm... It was very interesting and the people are just lovely...
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Feb 19, 2007 07:00 PM India by rail...
During my previous visits to India they made train reservation by phone. Now it is all computerized so if you arrive here you can book all your rail journeys from one big station. It will give you the advantage not to worry about free seatts or berths.
I took 15-hours rail journey from Goa to Cochin... It was a/c 2nd class carriage. It was more safe there then in non-a/c class (and you have more privacy there) but I got cold and I am sneezing now... in the temperature of 40 deg. Celsius.
We arrived to Cochin -Ernakulam station at 2 pm. Then I took a sweaty 20 min walk to the jetty. Ferry took me to the old part of the town - Fort Cochin located on the peninsula. I found accommodation in Old Adam's Inn in one of this enchanting narrow streets. They charge 350 rp per single room with bath. Nice place, but bring your mosquito net with you! You will find only little, dirty beach here but Fort Cochin has still lovely, colonial atmosphere...
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Feb 18, 2007 07:00 PM India - enjoying the sea and the sun...
Don't you think I work too hard during this voyage?... So this will be just day at leisure. I jumped into the warm see in the morning before the waves got high. What a pleasure! Benaulim is still like escape from the crowds and noise of North Goa. There are few bars on the palm-fringed beach with rooms attached - they charge 200-300 rp per room. Do not go to "Furtado's" - it is overpriced - just go along the beach and you will find a room or hut for youself. At "Furtado's" where the road ends there are cheap food stalls so there is no need to buy the meals at the bars (bread roll - 3 rp, bananas for 2, eggs for 5 and my favourite papaya for 25). I have been before twice to the North of India. Now I can compare: the people in the Southern India are not as nasty as in the north - less beggars here. In general - people of the South are much nicer...
I took a beach walk to Colva to photograph there fishing boats and to connect to the internet (30 rp per hour).
In the late eveving the rickshaw will take me to the nearest station - I plan to take the train along the coast to the south...
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Feb 17, 2007 07:00 PM The palms and monuments of Old Goa
In the morning I took a local junk bus (7 rp one way) to Old Goa - the former capital of the Portugeese colony. It is just 9 km from Panjim... In 16th and 17th centuries Portugeese built there many huge churches. They are still here... It is probably the highest concentration of European architecture in India... I visited the ornate St Francis Church, the museum in the nearby convent (entry only 5 rp), the cathedral and Bom Jesus Church where the tomb of saint Francis Xawier is located. There are also other places to see if you are resistant enough to the heat and sun (like 35 deg. Celsius during the day). Old Goa is not like other Indian city - there is space, palms, flowers and colonial atmosphere... must to see, if you are in Goa...
In the afternoon I put again my 20kg pack on my back and walked to the bus station to jump on the bus - first to Margao and then to Benaulim.
I found there just on the beach a quite room in "Sundance GH".
This is the place to be and to enjoy the romantic sunset over the ocean! Lovely evening!
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Feb 16, 2007 07:00 PM Goa - India - end of the legend?
Yes, I am already on the west coast of India... But it is still unknown to me South India... I came to legendary Goa - former Portugeese colony - then cheap base for the hippies located on the beautiful beaches of the Indian Ocean...
Just imagine: Goa is not one spot - it is now the state of India and it has more then 100 km of the shore line.
I decided to stay in Panjim - the capital of the state located inland - on bank of the huge river Mandavi. It is convenient transport hub if you want to visit several places around. i stay in the Republica Hotel paying just 200 rupees for the room with fan and shared bath. No nets in the windows, so mosquitos are extra and for free. I appreciate mosquito net I carry with me - it is malaria zone...
Panaji or Panajim has nice old town with narrow streets and old portugeese architecture. There are a lot of churches spread out around the whole state. The main one: wonderful Immaculate Concepcion is jest 5 min walk from my place.
I visited one by one famous beaches of north Goa: at first probably the most picturesque Vagator located in the coves. Then Anjuna - rocky spot - hippy hang-out for travellers who came for sex, drugs and rock and roll and finally: the "Queen Beach"- as they call it - Calangute - very long and wide but crowded, noisy, full of local tourists restautanst and souvenir shops. I definitely do not recommend to you this area - the village is no longer a quite retreat for the vacationers from abroad... Let me see what I'll find for you in the South Goa...
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Feb 14, 2007 07:00 PM Survive Madras (or Chennai)...
If here is written "Hotel" on the street building do not think you will find the room there... From my experience: 80 percent of such institutions serve food only - God knows why... You can have there a simple local style meal - e.g. rice with curry sauce for 20 rp - like half of dollar. A bottle of cold pepsi (0,5l) will cost you another 20 rp, if you don't want to take a risk of drinking tap water... Or ask the street vendor to open for you the coconut - it will cost you only 5 rp (8 coconuts for a dollar!)
Crowded junk buses crawl the city in different directions. For me the most important is. no 32 - from my "Himalaya Hotel" to the central railway station. It cost only 2.50 rp but watch your bag and pockets!...
Madras has the complex of interesting museums. I was very surprise at the ticket desk: the entry fee for the locals is 15 rp. Foreigners will pay 250 rp - 18 times more! I cannot imagine that in my country: somebody asking citizens of India to pay 18 times more that they charge from me...
Smog and stink on the streets - you will have enough after an hour - tomorrow I am escaping from Madras...
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