I have had no postings for a few days so a brief update. We left Mumbai (thankfully) and took an overnite a/c sleeper to Ahmedabad . A long , long ride. Upon arrival at Ahmadabad around 7:00 we immediately booked in at a hotel a couple of km's from the train station. Very nice economy hotel with air and fan, private washroom with sit down toilet and hot shower and cable TV. Very well kept and a welcome relief (just on Relief Rd!) Unfortunately Ahmadabad is very highly polluted in all ways - air, water and noise. I got quite sick and spent the next three days in bed. I had severe pains in my head all over my cranium, my eyeball, cheek bones and teeth as well as all over the bod. I seemed to recover a bit but I had no energy and couldn't even bring myself to get to an internet terminal. I am not sure what caused the sickness which I would say a combo of heat and pollution.
The next two days we hung around and gradually did some walking. Unfortunately each outing brought with it a new round of sore throat, respiratory problems and coughing.
Ahmadabad in Gujarat State is the centre of textile industry and seems to be prospering . Paradoxically there is little evidence of private auto ownership but lots and ;lots of motorbikes and little CNG, fueled three wheeled taxis. They are all constantly blowing their horns.
Finally got energy to book a train out of Ahmedabad to Udaipur. The 300 km journey took 8 hours on the only train that connects . Another cramped sleeper There is no room to move about the train. You are confined to the assigned car and there is no dining or club car.
This town is on a lake and is extremely quiet compared to Ahmadabad and Mumbai. We are in Lake Ghat guest house that so far seems very attractive and a nice place to recover. There are a lot of tourists walking around. I'll keep you posted. We will probably stay three days and walk around to different temples etc. Tomorrow is festival day (in all of India I think) Daliwal Day (or something like that - I have to check)
By the way I have not had a lot of success in uploading photos. The system always seems to freeze up. I'll try a computer in Delhi which may be more robust.
Wednesday, November 7, 2007
Wednesday, October 31, 2007
From Mumbai (Bombay)
I will do a little catch up here. Before leaving Mexico we visited several cutural events - one of the consequences of hanging out with Pedro. Firstl we visited the Franz Meyer Museum where an exhibit of award winning international Journalists photos was held. Most of the winners were of shots taken in war zones or in situations involving demonstrations or oppressionnby police and governments. Even many of the award winners in the sports and nature categories dealt with violent themes. Signs of the human condition it seems. After this exhibit we visited the "Blue House" the museum of Frida Kahlo which used to be her home. It was a beautiful house, quite spaceous and surrounded an inner Courtyar. For those of you who may not be familiar with Frida; she was crippled as a young woman in heer youth from a bus accident and painted from her bed and wheelchair. She was a member of a group of revolutionaries in Mexico at the time in the 40's and 50's. She for a time was married to Diego Rivera and if I am successful I will upload a photo of a mural that he did that is on one of the buildings at the National University in Mexico City. Too much to go in to detail now but this group of artists we communist sympathizers ( if not communist member) friend to Stalin et al. One of the exhibits at the Blue House is a video production to celebrate 50 yrs after her death. In Spanish, so I couldn't understand the dialogue, but interesting just the same.
We also visited a museum on the campus of the National University in the Cultural section (several hectares of theatres, scuplure and galleries) which featured the photography of Spencer Tunick of a group nude shoot he did in Mexico City. There were 18000 nude participants in the main shoot that took place in the main city square (the Zocalo - second only in size to the Red Square in Moscow) He calls what he does Installation Art as opposed to a possible categorization undere "Performance Art" Interstingly he had also done a smaller shoot of a group of nude woman at the Blue House of Frida Kahlo
Lastly we went to a concert (again on the cultural grounds) featuring music from Porgy and Bess (Gershwin) and West Side Story (Bernstein) and Star Wars (John Williams)
Any way that was my cutiral immmersion before getting up at 2:45 Monday morning to go to the Mexico airport to begin our long days journey into Mumbai. We were fortunate to pull business class seats on the Mexico to Atlanta portion, but the Atlant to JFK New York and from JFK to Mumabi were haeavily booked and we had to settle for economy. Hopefully we will luck out and get business class on the return.
So after a 26 hour travel day we end up at a pre booked hotel near the airport. No five star but they did provide pickup and we were able to have breakfast there. After the long travel day I could not see dealing with touts and travelling into the city. I am glad we made that choice as the following day at the hotel we arranged for a taxi to take us to Colaba section of Mumbai. The Hotel person had told us the fair was fixed at 250 Rupees. When the taxie got there and we jumped in I confirmed the fair with the taxi driver. He went bananas and insisted we be on meter. Ther ensued a heated exchange between the taxi driver and the hotel rep. We finally settled on 300 Rupees, The drive into Mumbai was one of those unbelievable journeys through stench, pollution, heavy noisy horn blowing traffic and of course past squalid living (existing) conditions. My observation on the traffic is that if Mexico City can be considered totall archist then Mumbai is totally chaotic. Of course lane markers mean nothong. What is of more importance is how many car widths can fit into the available space fro road side to roadside.
The traffic is so dense that even motorcyclist have trouble weaving in and out and many times have to come to a comple stop - wheras in Mex City they usuall are able to scoot up through the space between two adjacent lanes of traffic.
Anyway our taxi didn't quite make it and came to a stop at some unknown point in our trip . The driver informed us the plug wires were wrecked. We paid him his 300 R and he in turn paid another taxi to take us the rest of the way.
We got another hotel down by the sea and the Gateway to Mumbai structure. This Hotel came recommended by Lonely Planet and Rough Guides as one of the best budget accomodations in Mumai. You wouldn't want to see the ones they do not recommend! But it is OK and reasonably price for Mumbai
Lots of walking around yeaterda and very tired by evening. Treated ourselves to a Sub - yes Mr Subway.
This morning went for a short run along the sea wall near the Gateway. At 7:00 am it was 27 degrees, no breeze and very humid. Lots of tstreet dweller still sleeping on the streets as the city seems to start up around *:am
Finally ; one thing that has surprised me a bit so far is that although we have encountered some begging people i has not been to the extent I was expecting.
This has been a long typing session for me and I will sign off and go get some breakfast
We also visited a museum on the campus of the National University in the Cultural section (several hectares of theatres, scuplure and galleries) which featured the photography of Spencer Tunick of a group nude shoot he did in Mexico City. There were 18000 nude participants in the main shoot that took place in the main city square (the Zocalo - second only in size to the Red Square in Moscow) He calls what he does Installation Art as opposed to a possible categorization undere "Performance Art" Interstingly he had also done a smaller shoot of a group of nude woman at the Blue House of Frida Kahlo
Lastly we went to a concert (again on the cultural grounds) featuring music from Porgy and Bess (Gershwin) and West Side Story (Bernstein) and Star Wars (John Williams)
Any way that was my cutiral immmersion before getting up at 2:45 Monday morning to go to the Mexico airport to begin our long days journey into Mumbai. We were fortunate to pull business class seats on the Mexico to Atlanta portion, but the Atlant to JFK New York and from JFK to Mumabi were haeavily booked and we had to settle for economy. Hopefully we will luck out and get business class on the return.
So after a 26 hour travel day we end up at a pre booked hotel near the airport. No five star but they did provide pickup and we were able to have breakfast there. After the long travel day I could not see dealing with touts and travelling into the city. I am glad we made that choice as the following day at the hotel we arranged for a taxi to take us to Colaba section of Mumbai. The Hotel person had told us the fair was fixed at 250 Rupees. When the taxie got there and we jumped in I confirmed the fair with the taxi driver. He went bananas and insisted we be on meter. Ther ensued a heated exchange between the taxi driver and the hotel rep. We finally settled on 300 Rupees, The drive into Mumbai was one of those unbelievable journeys through stench, pollution, heavy noisy horn blowing traffic and of course past squalid living (existing) conditions. My observation on the traffic is that if Mexico City can be considered totall archist then Mumbai is totally chaotic. Of course lane markers mean nothong. What is of more importance is how many car widths can fit into the available space fro road side to roadside.
The traffic is so dense that even motorcyclist have trouble weaving in and out and many times have to come to a comple stop - wheras in Mex City they usuall are able to scoot up through the space between two adjacent lanes of traffic.
Anyway our taxi didn't quite make it and came to a stop at some unknown point in our trip . The driver informed us the plug wires were wrecked. We paid him his 300 R and he in turn paid another taxi to take us the rest of the way.
We got another hotel down by the sea and the Gateway to Mumbai structure. This Hotel came recommended by Lonely Planet and Rough Guides as one of the best budget accomodations in Mumai. You wouldn't want to see the ones they do not recommend! But it is OK and reasonably price for Mumbai
Lots of walking around yeaterda and very tired by evening. Treated ourselves to a Sub - yes Mr Subway.
This morning went for a short run along the sea wall near the Gateway. At 7:00 am it was 27 degrees, no breeze and very humid. Lots of tstreet dweller still sleeping on the streets as the city seems to start up around *:am
Finally ; one thing that has surprised me a bit so far is that although we have encountered some begging people i has not been to the extent I was expecting.
This has been a long typing session for me and I will sign off and go get some breakfast
Friday, October 26, 2007
Flight Plans
We leave Mexico early Monday morning Oct 29 and change planes in Atlanta. This flight touches down in JFK in New York and then on to Mumbai. We arrive at 10:30 PM in Mumbai and I have booked a Hotel (Hotel Highway Residency) near the airport. They will send a driver to airport to pick us up. The elapsed flying time from Atlanta will be about 16 hours, so all told we will be travelling 20 plus hours so will be tired when we arrive and in no position mentally to have to deal with touts stc.
We will be in Mumbai three days I think. Then we will head north by train.
I am planning to use Flickr.com for uploading photos (assuming we can find internet with USB ports for connecting camera) If and when that happens I will put the link in this blog and by clicking on it you should go directly to the photos - and the back button should return you to the blog.
We will be in Mumbai three days I think. Then we will head north by train.
I am planning to use Flickr.com for uploading photos (assuming we can find internet with USB ports for connecting camera) If and when that happens I will put the link in this blog and by clicking on it you should go directly to the photos - and the back button should return you to the blog.
Tuesday, October 23, 2007
In Mexico
Arrived in Mexico after a long two days including over night at Tim Hortons in the Toronto Airport. Very tired upon arrival here. On Saturday went to Pedros country place in Los Loreles and then back on Sunday. It is the green time of year there and still a bit rainy. Ditto for Mexico city it has been cool and wet for the past few days. Apparently some weather pheomenon similar t El Nino.
We are all booke d for Mumbai flight. It will be another long one with four hours frm here to Atlanta and then a few hours later a 16 hour flight to Mumbai. We arrive at 10:30 and have a "hotel" booked near the airport with a pick up. It is a bit more than the usual accommodation for a budget travellor as yours truly - but after a long flight one needs to be assured of a rest and as little hassle as possible with touts etc. I have received a confirmation so hoipe that it all works out OK.
More later
We are all booke d for Mumbai flight. It will be another long one with four hours frm here to Atlanta and then a few hours later a 16 hour flight to Mumbai. We arrive at 10:30 and have a "hotel" booked near the airport with a pick up. It is a bit more than the usual accommodation for a budget travellor as yours truly - but after a long flight one needs to be assured of a rest and as little hassle as possible with touts etc. I have received a confirmation so hoipe that it all works out OK.
More later
Saturday, September 29, 2007
Test Post
It is a cool day here in Clagary. I hope I can find place to run while in India. I would not want to go a whole month without as that puts me back to zero and I have been working on my base so that I can start marathon training in December. I wonder if there are other 65 yo running bloggers out there.
Friday, September 28, 2007
Ready for travel
Well I now have my India Visa in hand and I think I am ready to go. I plan to leave Calgary 18 October 2007 and fly to Mexico City via Toronto on Air Canada. I will meet up with my friend Pedro and stay in Mexico a few days to jointly plot a rough travel iteinerary for India. We will then depart on Delta for Mumbai sometime around 1 November 2007
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