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You can lose everything, but nobody will take away what you saw and what you experienced...
............ 
Oct 20, 2012 04:00 PM Bhubaneshwar - The temple town o India
That's how the call the capital of Orissa state. Durga Puja Festival starts today and I have a problem to find accommodation. But I got it! The clean room in the new Dreamland Hotel near the station cost me more then usually - 700 rs but is woth the price. Recommended!
There were 7000 temples in Bhu - they say. Most of them built in in 1st century. Now some of them are overgrown, but still enough to see.
Lively Lingaraj Temple with its 54-m tower is the holiest one. Entry restricted to the Hindis, but going along the wall to the right you will find a platform which allows you to take a look inside...
Walking around the old town I saw many smaller temples. On the ocassion of Durga Puje Festival they built a lot of little, kitch altarl in the main streets. The city is illuminated in the evening. A lot of music, a noise, the crowd... That's India celebrating its holiday!
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Oct 19, 2012 04:00 PM Orissa by bus
Local tourist organizations in India offers resonably priced sightseeing tours. So if you want to see mamy tourist attractions which are spread out this could be the best solution.
My full day tour started in Puri at 6.30 am. It cost 400 rs - like 8 USD. I took my backpack with the intention that they will drop me at the end of the tour in Bhubaneshwar...
We saw first coastal Ramachandi Temple then passed the best beach of Orissa - Chandrabhaga. Then Konark and Peace Pagoda on the hill in Dhauli.
On the outskirts of Bhubaneshwar we visited Udaygiri Caves - in fack interesting monastery in the caves.
Aj baba! - that's how the beggars call me here. I do not like it because "Baba" in my language means the ugly old woman. :)
In India you will see more beggars then elsewhere. You must be resistant...
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Oct 18, 2012 04:00 PM Sun Temple in Konark
In the Orissa state there is a triangle of the holy cities: Puri - Konark and Bhubaneshwwar.
Konark lies just 40 km from Puri and can be visited on a day tour.
I took a local bus for 20 rs (one hour) to get to the famous Sun Temple in Konark - The UNESCO World Heritage Site. It was built in the middle of 13th century.
Well worth to see, but be ready to pay 250 rs entry fee. Hindi pay 10 rs - 25 times less!!!
For those on a tight budget there is a path around the temple - from this path you can easily photograph for free all temple - like a stone charriot. What you will miss are the erotic sculptures on the walls (do you remember Khajuraho?)
Another great day with local people - during all day I saw only one white tourist!!
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Oct 17, 2012 04:00 PM Puri - the Holy City
Puri is small, has narrow streets and a wide beach.
In Puri 2 where backpackers live you will find more then 100 fishing boats on the beach - I was there just before sunset to see the real life - great theatrum!
Puri 1 is west of Puri 2 - there you will find the beach promenade doted by the expensive hotels for the Indian holidaymakers. In the evening there is a lot of food stalls on the beach - that is what they like!
Little Puri is also one of the India holy cities - thanks to the massive Jagannath Temple - sorry , no entry for the foreigners.
You can have a look from the terrace of the ruined library - opposite the temple (10 rs donation will be OK (touts request 100).
I have great time walking along the beach and enjoying the atmosphere of the Indian province. In E-Taj hotel I have a roomy room with bath for just 450 rs - recommended! But check your laundry - they returned my jeans dirty - seems they do not use the washing powder, pure water only! :)
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Oct 16, 2012 04:00 PM India - how much does it cost?
I am already under palms in Puri on the coast of Bengal Bay.
It is the day at leisure - to relax, to make the laundry,
to enjoy the warm sea.
India is cheap to travel.
Young travellers often ask me: How much does it cost?
It depends of the chosen standard of travel.
My - budget version looks like that (sample):
Breakfast: two tomatoes - 5 rs
Bread 400g - also for the lunch - 20 rs
Butter Amul 100g - also for the lunch - 30 rs
Dubar Honey 250g = for 3 days - 95 rs/3
Selfmade tea and coffee (bring your heater!)
Lunch:
Bread, butter,
2 boiled eggs - 14 rs
10 bananas (also for dinner) - 20 rs
Dinner:
Fried fish in the rest - 100 rs
plain rice - 15 rs
bananas, tea, coffee
TOTAL food per day: 234 rs = less then 5 USD
You have to add of course transport, room (around 400) and entry fees.
Cheap, isn't it?
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Oct 15, 2012 04:00 PM The night, and day and second night on the Indian train
It is a long voyage: 32 hours by train from Delhi to Puri.
I am going to Orissa or Odisha, how they call now this state.
Long way, long story. The tea and snack sellers are going along the train all the time. But their prices are higher than on the station platform so think about taking your food stuff with you.
At every station vendors are coming to the carriages shouting and going quickly through, to find the clients. Watch your possession! It is easy to loose! Introduce yourself to your travel companions - they will watch your stuff when you are going to the toilet or jumping to the platform to buy the fruits (10 rs per bunch) or the bottle of mineral water (15 rs per litre).
If you have hard bunk only it is good idea to bring a pillow with you. Funny? I am sure you will appreciate it aalready after first 10 hours of your trip!
I had enough time to read, to listen my music from mp3 and to prepare for the next part of the journey...
32 hours... But I did not beat my 42-hours on the traain record from China - do you remember? :)
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Oct 14, 2012 04:00 PM Indian Railways secret: Taktal
Again I spent more then 6 hours on the train. In the sleeper class - but don't be confused: sleeper class in India offers you just a bare, hard and dirty berth. There is no a/c and the windows with bars are wide open, so you will experience all smells of incredible India...
India is a huge nation and they travel a lot so it is not easy to get a ticket, especially on the short-notice. I tried to buy a ticket online a month ahead via the cleartrip.com but the response was always the same: waiting list only.
Now I have a secret for you:
They have a special last minute ticket sales (emergency quota) via TAKTAL system. It starts exactly exactly at 10 am the day before your train leaves. To get your tkt you have to be at any station earlier, fill the booking form (clerk will help you to find the train number) and you must be the first in the line in front of Taktal window. At 10 am sharp the race for the seats starts. I wish you be lucky!
That's how I got my ticket for Delhi-Puri train!
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Oct 13, 2012 04:00 PM Bye-bye Himalaya!
It is time to say goodbye to the high mountains.
There are elegant private buses going from Shimla to New Delhi (800 rs oneway) but for me much more interesting option is the narrow-gauge train from Shimla to Kalka. It cost only 16 rupees for 6-hours trip. The problem is that you have to book your seat well in advance or if not available - to come to the station 2-3 hours ahead to get the space.
There are more then 100 tunnels on the way, great views and opportunity to socialize with the fellow Indian travellers.
I landed in Kalka at 8 pm.
Train ticket for the next stage to New Delhi (sleeper class) cost me just 125 rs (2,5 USD). Close to the station I found Amber Hotel to spend the night. And in the morning I had enough time to make a haircut in the local salon (20 rs - 40 cents)! I am in the heat...
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Oct 12, 2012 04:00 PM Former glory of Shimla
Dear Friends. Sorry for the errors I made in my notes. You should imagine me after 12 hours on the bumpy roads writing my journal in the dark and crampy internet cafe on the dirty computer - maybe 15 years old. Forgive me, please my errors!
Today I spent another 10 hours on the Himalayan roads. Public bus took me up and down the mountains, but slowly I am loosing the high altitude. There is more of green in the landscape...
In the evening I reached Shimla on the level of "only" 2200 m. Shimla during the British colonial time was the elegant resort. And that's what I expected to see.
Forget it! Todays Shimla looks more like mountain shanty-town, crowded, noisy, with many houses of different styles squeezed on the steep slopes.
Yes, there are old British buildings, but many of them is running down. But Shimla has still better outlook than the other Indian cities: they have even garbage bins on the streets!.
I was welcomed by the hord of monkeys when I was approaaching my hotel. Accommodation in the "fancy" Shimla is more expensive then in the other Indian places. Expect to pay min. 700 rs per room (like 14 USD).
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Oct 11, 2012 04:00 PM The road in the sky... Himalaya...
The bus from Kaza arrived already full of Tibetans. I managed to find for me some space on the driver's tool box... We started to climb up the endless switchbacks at 9.30.
Wow! View through the dirty windows were breathtaking, but no chance to photograph them...
Up and up - to the skies. Small villages on the level of 4000 m... Cross to Kinnaur Valley, where they have apple orchards!
Crossing streams and waiting while they repair this single-lane unpaved road to the skies...
Snowy peaks... - There is already China - thy say!
Dust and altitude sickness are your main enemies, if you took this challenge.
But is is unforgettable.
We reached Rekong Peo - tille village on the slope at 7 p.m. Just near bus stand I found room in the "hotel" for just 300 rs (6 USD) What a day!
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