..:: 659. The One With Udaipur ::..
travelling by train is definitely more enjoyable. i can see myself sleeping better on train than sleeping on the bus. reached udaipur early in the evening and managed to find soni paying guest house (tell me one that dont need to pay).
the room was so-so but the price was 200rs for a triple bed so it was worth it. but everything didnt matter as much as soon as we hit the roof. gosh, the lake palace looked amazing with the glittering lights... started to drizzle as we were up in another roof having dinner. the electricity was cut and the town was in darkness.
the daylight comes and it was weird to see the (dried up) lake palace. decided to be adventurous and rented a bicycle to find lunch - all-you-can-eat thali for 55rs. funny things happened. guy got beaten up for no reason. lol. our little secret.
took a 12hr bus ride to jaisalmer (transit at jodphur) which was 300rs for a non-AC seater. damn bloody noisy. people just loved to quarrel. then in the morning, there was this boy who puked and the "stuff" kena my leg! gross. there are windows HELLO...
there was this smart tout, who guided us where to go before the last stop. dunno how he managed to get onto the bus. we managed to bargain to get a 650rs x 3 days for a 3D2N desert safari and 2 nights free at the guest house. =)
going with an asian guy from US, chatted at the rooftop with a Hongkie as well as a Japanese couple.
weather is damn freaking hot!!! 43 degrees or more. could feel my toes burning. hope tml camel rides would be fun. and the night wont be too cold.
Saturday, May 23, 2009
..:: 658. The One With Aurangabad ::..
wah didnt know results out so fast! scrolling carefully one by one to see my grades. but was pleasantly surprised. got what i had expected so i was pretty much excited and happy. finally graduated. got A+ for hr metrics. unexpected but it pays off to be active in class i guess. thought my quiz was a goner but luckily everything turned out well.
had the best last sem but was also one of the most dramatic ones. worked with people whom i were eager to do project with but in the process, we might have disappointed each other in some ways but that is the learning process like what everyone says. i also have learnt: Do unto others as you would have them do unto you. handling conflicts with friends requires ultimate tact since it will come around to bite your a** and also to prevent future awkward moments.
it just feels weird to know a person who doesnt like you. whether you should pretend the person does not exist, or continue to be friendly knowing the person dont really care.
anyway back to happy moments. all my alone journeys are quiet exciting. i left the hostel at 7pm to catch my bus to aurangabad at 8pm. the bus agent told me that it would take like 15 mins to reach the place to board the bus. as usual, the cab driver said he knew where to go and ard 730pm i got worried that we have not reached and decided to call the bus agent to tell the cab driver how to go to the boarding venue.
the cab driver didnt want to take my phone! wth.
in the end at 8pm, he managed to drop me at where i bought my ticket which was not the boarding venue. i was freaking pissed and had to pay the drive 250rs to not-my-destination.
luckily the bus agent was nice to ask me to take a seat to wait for the bus who will make a turn to his place. at 930pm, the bus never came. so i had to hop on to one random bus which brought me to another place for a connecting bus to aurangabad. totally different bus companies and i think they dont really care which bus u paid for.
in the end, all turned out well. i paid for a non-AC semi-sleeper and got an AC (aircon) sleeper bus. after all that trouble, i cant complain with that unexpected free upgrade.
as usual sleeping with a male stranger is nothing new. this time i had 2 different guys. but the "dolphin" bus (name of the bus) was really good, had good clean pillows and offered blankets. at about 5am, my bed mate alighted and another boarded. luckily i chatted with the second guy, cos he stayed near the hotel which i was supposed to meet yash and jaron. he brought me to his house for breakfast and his wife made great chai (tea). then he drove me to the hotel where i was so excited to see yash and jaron.
took a tuk tuk for 20rs to get to the government bus station for a bus to ellora caves. we decided to stop midway to explore the daulatabad fort which was like a freaking great wall of china. climbed thousands of steps and my legs almost gave way from the so-long-never-exercise period.
we then hitch a "car-pool" ride which squeezed 8 people in one cab to head to ellora caves. each person only 15rs. second day we visited ajanta caves which had more paintings and like ellora, after a while, the caves looked similar. we just gulped down tons of water...
most hotels in india have this 24-hour checkout system. doesnt mean you can check out anytime :P it meant you have to check out 24 hours after you checked in. and need to ask whether there is electricity the whole day. some places i stayed in, they switched off the electricity at certain times of the day. without fans in the freaking hot weather, we couldnt sleep on the second day when the fans went off at 5am!
our next destination: udaipur to see the lake palace. woo! going there is difficult.
we took a bus to jalgaon which cost 40rs and took about 1.5 hr. took a tuk tuk to the railway station (10rs) to find that there is no direct train. but there are a lot of bus agencies so we found "Hamsafar" which helped us booked a bus to Indore (300rs, non-AC sleeper, depart 9.15pm, arrive 5am; 7+ hours) and then train to Udaipur (410rs, non-AC sleeper, depart 8am, arrive 7.15pm; 11+ hours)
looking forward to my first inter-state train experience.
so sad, adam lambert didnt win american idol but will definitely support him. his live performances are so much better and engaging than kris's.
wah didnt know results out so fast! scrolling carefully one by one to see my grades. but was pleasantly surprised. got what i had expected so i was pretty much excited and happy. finally graduated. got A+ for hr metrics. unexpected but it pays off to be active in class i guess. thought my quiz was a goner but luckily everything turned out well.
had the best last sem but was also one of the most dramatic ones. worked with people whom i were eager to do project with but in the process, we might have disappointed each other in some ways but that is the learning process like what everyone says. i also have learnt: Do unto others as you would have them do unto you. handling conflicts with friends requires ultimate tact since it will come around to bite your a** and also to prevent future awkward moments.
it just feels weird to know a person who doesnt like you. whether you should pretend the person does not exist, or continue to be friendly knowing the person dont really care.
anyway back to happy moments. all my alone journeys are quiet exciting. i left the hostel at 7pm to catch my bus to aurangabad at 8pm. the bus agent told me that it would take like 15 mins to reach the place to board the bus. as usual, the cab driver said he knew where to go and ard 730pm i got worried that we have not reached and decided to call the bus agent to tell the cab driver how to go to the boarding venue.
the cab driver didnt want to take my phone! wth.
in the end at 8pm, he managed to drop me at where i bought my ticket which was not the boarding venue. i was freaking pissed and had to pay the drive 250rs to not-my-destination.
luckily the bus agent was nice to ask me to take a seat to wait for the bus who will make a turn to his place. at 930pm, the bus never came. so i had to hop on to one random bus which brought me to another place for a connecting bus to aurangabad. totally different bus companies and i think they dont really care which bus u paid for.
in the end, all turned out well. i paid for a non-AC semi-sleeper and got an AC (aircon) sleeper bus. after all that trouble, i cant complain with that unexpected free upgrade.
as usual sleeping with a male stranger is nothing new. this time i had 2 different guys. but the "dolphin" bus (name of the bus) was really good, had good clean pillows and offered blankets. at about 5am, my bed mate alighted and another boarded. luckily i chatted with the second guy, cos he stayed near the hotel which i was supposed to meet yash and jaron. he brought me to his house for breakfast and his wife made great chai (tea). then he drove me to the hotel where i was so excited to see yash and jaron.
took a tuk tuk for 20rs to get to the government bus station for a bus to ellora caves. we decided to stop midway to explore the daulatabad fort which was like a freaking great wall of china. climbed thousands of steps and my legs almost gave way from the so-long-never-exercise period.
we then hitch a "car-pool" ride which squeezed 8 people in one cab to head to ellora caves. each person only 15rs. second day we visited ajanta caves which had more paintings and like ellora, after a while, the caves looked similar. we just gulped down tons of water...
most hotels in india have this 24-hour checkout system. doesnt mean you can check out anytime :P it meant you have to check out 24 hours after you checked in. and need to ask whether there is electricity the whole day. some places i stayed in, they switched off the electricity at certain times of the day. without fans in the freaking hot weather, we couldnt sleep on the second day when the fans went off at 5am!
our next destination: udaipur to see the lake palace. woo! going there is difficult.
we took a bus to jalgaon which cost 40rs and took about 1.5 hr. took a tuk tuk to the railway station (10rs) to find that there is no direct train. but there are a lot of bus agencies so we found "Hamsafar" which helped us booked a bus to Indore (300rs, non-AC sleeper, depart 9.15pm, arrive 5am; 7+ hours) and then train to Udaipur (410rs, non-AC sleeper, depart 8am, arrive 7.15pm; 11+ hours)
looking forward to my first inter-state train experience.
so sad, adam lambert didnt win american idol but will definitely support him. his live performances are so much better and engaging than kris's.
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
..:: 657. The One With The Heat ::..
i think the heat is making me sick. been drinking lots of water but the air is still so hot and humid. breathing was difficult especially when i was on the train.
caught the bollywood show which i couldnt understand what they were saying but roughly knew the plot. surprisingly dont have the mass-group dance that i used to see. cos the movie was in hindi, everyone was looking at me, thinking why is this guy watching a hindi film lol...
the salvation army hostel was alright... with breakfast, each night is about 200rs. today visited the mahalaxmi dhobi ghat (sounds like singapore's dhoby ghaut)... it is a place where people do mass laundry. saw a lot of people beating the dirt and washing and drying the clothes. my very own underwear could be there since i have sent some clothes for laundry. and i saw a small hole from my mr quiet shirt :( probably from the previous wash...
went to chowpatty beach which was nowhere near the standard of goa beaches. its like family gathering. so crowded even on weekday 4pm. got lots of stalls and i finally tried the paan which was a leaf wrapped in many stuff (paste, mints, cherries, desiccated coconut...
took a bus and enjoyed the sights... rush hour everyone heading home. i am preparing to load an album entitled "things you can carry with your head" lol... u will be amazed... my first attempt to jump up the bus failed :( the bus went too fast and there was an old man in front of me and i didnt have a free hand to grab. waited for more than 30 mins for a bus... took shots of people jumping up and down the bus. damn cool. u can practically alight anywhere... when the bus stops at the traffic junction, you can just jump lol.
i think the heat is making me sick. been drinking lots of water but the air is still so hot and humid. breathing was difficult especially when i was on the train.
caught the bollywood show which i couldnt understand what they were saying but roughly knew the plot. surprisingly dont have the mass-group dance that i used to see. cos the movie was in hindi, everyone was looking at me, thinking why is this guy watching a hindi film lol...
the salvation army hostel was alright... with breakfast, each night is about 200rs. today visited the mahalaxmi dhobi ghat (sounds like singapore's dhoby ghaut)... it is a place where people do mass laundry. saw a lot of people beating the dirt and washing and drying the clothes. my very own underwear could be there since i have sent some clothes for laundry. and i saw a small hole from my mr quiet shirt :( probably from the previous wash...
went to chowpatty beach which was nowhere near the standard of goa beaches. its like family gathering. so crowded even on weekday 4pm. got lots of stalls and i finally tried the paan which was a leaf wrapped in many stuff (paste, mints, cherries, desiccated coconut...
took a bus and enjoyed the sights... rush hour everyone heading home. i am preparing to load an album entitled "things you can carry with your head" lol... u will be amazed... my first attempt to jump up the bus failed :( the bus went too fast and there was an old man in front of me and i didnt have a free hand to grab. waited for more than 30 mins for a bus... took shots of people jumping up and down the bus. damn cool. u can practically alight anywhere... when the bus stops at the traffic junction, you can just jump lol.
..:: 656. The One With Mumbai Day 4 ::..
wanted to go to the "crossroads" which according to the lonely planet guidebook, it is the biggest shopping mall in mumbai. when i started to make my way there from mumbai central station, a shopkeeper told me it was closed for renovation :(
went to a nearby city central mall, boring like hell lol. cannot even fight my house's compass point or even bukit panjang plaza despite having like 4-5 floors. went to their electrical store "croma" which is like our harvey norman, courts, etc. bought a headphone from sennheiser. damn solid sound and bass. loving it.
my fren was driving me around and happened to chance upon this bollywood filming... so many people standing around and of course i wouldnt have known who were the actors/actresses.
my first day there, they were actually counting the votes for the election so once in a while you hear announcement from the loudspeakers informing the public the parties and their vote count. interestingly, everyone who voted had an ink marked on their left middle finger. this is done so that they could only vote once, the ink would last a week. i guess its just too many people to have proper documentation...
in the evening, my fren brought me to this members-only royal bombay yatch club... so atas.
i also went to catch doomsday. gosh the cinema experience was truly incredible india...
1. before the start of the movie, i had to rise for the national anthem O_O
2. half way through the movie, there was an intermission. ??? the lights suddenly went on and i thought what happened.
but the good thing is that the seats, they have this roller so you can slide and make your seat incline. damn cool. =)
doomsday just full of blood and gore. head and limbs being cut off, bodies run over by vehicles. at some point, i thought i was watching fast and furious with all the car racing and heads flying around.
one more day left and i must go the the chowpatty beach and try their desserts and snacks!
wanted to go to the "crossroads" which according to the lonely planet guidebook, it is the biggest shopping mall in mumbai. when i started to make my way there from mumbai central station, a shopkeeper told me it was closed for renovation :(
went to a nearby city central mall, boring like hell lol. cannot even fight my house's compass point or even bukit panjang plaza despite having like 4-5 floors. went to their electrical store "croma" which is like our harvey norman, courts, etc. bought a headphone from sennheiser. damn solid sound and bass. loving it.
my fren was driving me around and happened to chance upon this bollywood filming... so many people standing around and of course i wouldnt have known who were the actors/actresses.
my first day there, they were actually counting the votes for the election so once in a while you hear announcement from the loudspeakers informing the public the parties and their vote count. interestingly, everyone who voted had an ink marked on their left middle finger. this is done so that they could only vote once, the ink would last a week. i guess its just too many people to have proper documentation...
in the evening, my fren brought me to this members-only royal bombay yatch club... so atas.
i also went to catch doomsday. gosh the cinema experience was truly incredible india...
1. before the start of the movie, i had to rise for the national anthem O_O
2. half way through the movie, there was an intermission. ??? the lights suddenly went on and i thought what happened.
but the good thing is that the seats, they have this roller so you can slide and make your seat incline. damn cool. =)
doomsday just full of blood and gore. head and limbs being cut off, bodies run over by vehicles. at some point, i thought i was watching fast and furious with all the car racing and heads flying around.
one more day left and i must go the the chowpatty beach and try their desserts and snacks!
Saturday, May 16, 2009
..:: 655. The One With Exciting Mumbai ::..
gosh, must share with u all the scary "excitement' i got...
i boarded the bus fully AC (aircon), expecting to find my inclined seater that i paid 800rs for. instead i saw rows of beds and when i saw an indian man on the bed i was supposed to be on, i was a little puzzled.
my ticket showed 12A and when i looked at the wall, it was labelled 12A, 12B. i thought 12B was the bed below cos i knew mine was the upper deck. when i bent and saw the label below, i was stunned. 11A and 11B.
worse, upper deck had little room for movement and it was like a freaking single bed for 2 guys! sian 1/2. the person bluffed me!
but the good thing was the bus was not full, so the guy moved to other bed, but that was not before he almost dozed off and breathed down my neck literally!
that was not the scariest part, i kept asking the bus conductor where i could drop cos i wanna drop at colaba. they didnt answer me, just uttered some hindi words which i cant find in my map. then i was sitting at the lower deck looking at the signboard... there was this couple who was going to alight so i asked them how much longer would it take to reach colaba, they told me another hindi "station name"... then the bus moved and made a turn, after some distance the bus conductor walked towards me and asked me to alight. Then i told him i got a luggage at the storage compartment which i needed to get down to take my luggage. he gave me the confused face and hurried me to go down. then he ran back to where the couple dropped and only then i realised he had actually left my bag there... i regretted then not to put my luggage up but i wasnt allowed cos no space...
i lost him half way as he ran. i looked confused in the sea of people. luckily i went straight out to the street and saw the couple. they were on the phone apparently trying to call the bus company cos they saw my bag. phew. they also shared a cab with me and told me it only took 40rs to reach my destination. never felt so relieved...
but once i alighted, i was swarmed by so many people trying to recommend me hotel and gain commission. so hard to ditch them. frustrated with that heavy load... and hotels in mumbai are so expensive. managed to find a real cheap 450rs per night. the rest were all 600 and above and its NON-AC :( the room standard i saw was like in bangalore kind just slightly better.
buildings in mumbai are damn nice, esp the taj mahal palace. walked and explored colaba, fort and churchgate area. my first experience of jumping off the train, it was so fun. also standing at the edge of the door-less train was exciting. sipped high tea and had great sandwiches and chocolate truffle recommended by lonely planet.
tml chowpatty beach and mumbai biggest shopping center!
gosh, must share with u all the scary "excitement' i got...
i boarded the bus fully AC (aircon), expecting to find my inclined seater that i paid 800rs for. instead i saw rows of beds and when i saw an indian man on the bed i was supposed to be on, i was a little puzzled.
my ticket showed 12A and when i looked at the wall, it was labelled 12A, 12B. i thought 12B was the bed below cos i knew mine was the upper deck. when i bent and saw the label below, i was stunned. 11A and 11B.
worse, upper deck had little room for movement and it was like a freaking single bed for 2 guys! sian 1/2. the person bluffed me!
but the good thing was the bus was not full, so the guy moved to other bed, but that was not before he almost dozed off and breathed down my neck literally!
that was not the scariest part, i kept asking the bus conductor where i could drop cos i wanna drop at colaba. they didnt answer me, just uttered some hindi words which i cant find in my map. then i was sitting at the lower deck looking at the signboard... there was this couple who was going to alight so i asked them how much longer would it take to reach colaba, they told me another hindi "station name"... then the bus moved and made a turn, after some distance the bus conductor walked towards me and asked me to alight. Then i told him i got a luggage at the storage compartment which i needed to get down to take my luggage. he gave me the confused face and hurried me to go down. then he ran back to where the couple dropped and only then i realised he had actually left my bag there... i regretted then not to put my luggage up but i wasnt allowed cos no space...
i lost him half way as he ran. i looked confused in the sea of people. luckily i went straight out to the street and saw the couple. they were on the phone apparently trying to call the bus company cos they saw my bag. phew. they also shared a cab with me and told me it only took 40rs to reach my destination. never felt so relieved...
but once i alighted, i was swarmed by so many people trying to recommend me hotel and gain commission. so hard to ditch them. frustrated with that heavy load... and hotels in mumbai are so expensive. managed to find a real cheap 450rs per night. the rest were all 600 and above and its NON-AC :( the room standard i saw was like in bangalore kind just slightly better.
buildings in mumbai are damn nice, esp the taj mahal palace. walked and explored colaba, fort and churchgate area. my first experience of jumping off the train, it was so fun. also standing at the edge of the door-less train was exciting. sipped high tea and had great sandwiches and chocolate truffle recommended by lonely planet.
tml chowpatty beach and mumbai biggest shopping center!
Thursday, May 14, 2009
..:: 654. The One With Goa ::..
finally caught american idol top 3 and america's next top model finale. gosh. surprise kris garnered more votes than danny... but kris really more original in his version of "heartless" and many of his songs. i hope adam is the one who trumps with one million more votes... excited about next week. hopefully the internet and computer are good enough...
really amazed by allison, she has the look that can go international. teyona :( dun look sweet in person, only does well in photos. lovin allison's walk in the runway, surprisingly great. but as expected cycle 3, 6, 9 and now 12 they have a black to win. so coincidental.
spent almost a week in goa now. been great. super relaxed. sun sea and the beaches. chilling out on the deck and ordering food and drinks while reading. visited calangute beach, then to baga beach and also anjuna beach and the flea market.
it's really good to talk to the local people and often we got free rides to wherever we wanted to go. i guess i was lucky travelling with a girl. every corner, guys with bikes will stop and ask whether she needs a lift. well lucky me. bikini on the beach sure draws lots of attention. felt like trying parasailing but havent got the chance.
partied 4 straight nights in a row. free entry, just popping cheap drinks... beers like kingfisher their local brand...
rented a bike for 300rs for 2 days and rode illegally. scary experience with heavy traffic and they all drove really fast... currently staying at marlin guest house which was so comfy and 5 mins away from all the clubs and nowhere near noisy dogs.
heading to mumbai this friday night, hopefully it will be as fun. overspent on shopping for gifts :(
finally caught american idol top 3 and america's next top model finale. gosh. surprise kris garnered more votes than danny... but kris really more original in his version of "heartless" and many of his songs. i hope adam is the one who trumps with one million more votes... excited about next week. hopefully the internet and computer are good enough...
really amazed by allison, she has the look that can go international. teyona :( dun look sweet in person, only does well in photos. lovin allison's walk in the runway, surprisingly great. but as expected cycle 3, 6, 9 and now 12 they have a black to win. so coincidental.
spent almost a week in goa now. been great. super relaxed. sun sea and the beaches. chilling out on the deck and ordering food and drinks while reading. visited calangute beach, then to baga beach and also anjuna beach and the flea market.
it's really good to talk to the local people and often we got free rides to wherever we wanted to go. i guess i was lucky travelling with a girl. every corner, guys with bikes will stop and ask whether she needs a lift. well lucky me. bikini on the beach sure draws lots of attention. felt like trying parasailing but havent got the chance.
partied 4 straight nights in a row. free entry, just popping cheap drinks... beers like kingfisher their local brand...
rented a bike for 300rs for 2 days and rode illegally. scary experience with heavy traffic and they all drove really fast... currently staying at marlin guest house which was so comfy and 5 mins away from all the clubs and nowhere near noisy dogs.
heading to mumbai this friday night, hopefully it will be as fun. overspent on shopping for gifts :(
Saturday, May 09, 2009
..:: 653. The One With Kushalnagar-Mangalore ::..
took a bus from mysore to kushalnagar. decided to go there over breakfast lol. made a call and this helpful guy said we could go there without a permit though the guidebook said it was needed. cost about 75rs.
the area is the closest feel to tibet, very peaceful and serene. very different from the india we have seen so far. of course there is a chinese feel to it but they cant speak chinese at all, english was quite limited only those stall owners knew. we stayed at this great hotel (finally not hostel), with hot showers... at night when we slept, it was so peaceful, even though there were chanting and prayers early in the morning, we could still sleep till late morning.
in the day, we walked around the neighbourhood, explored their schools (secondary and university), temples. looked so grand. ky was on a monk hunk hunt where we stood outside our hotel which was a cross-junction between the schools and the prayer area. took pictures with both cute little monks as well as ky fave "hunks" who do not look like monks at all.
very cleansing meals cos its vegetarian and whole lot of rice and noodles.
decided to go to Mangalore as a pit stop before we head to Goa. initially wanted to go Gokarna but the only bus takes 8 hours and will reach there at 9pm :( not a good timing. and ky hurt her back from the bus ride to Mangalore which was so bumpy all the way.
while she rested at the hostel, i roamed about. went to this kadri temple which the guidebook recommended... there was this holy pool where mostly guys swimming in it. took some photos as they looked excitedly at my camera. took pics of the 1000 year old bronze statue. decided to sit near the entrance of the temple and observed how people enter/exit and pray.
when they go in, they would touch the step and then their chest(heart), as they come out, they would exit sideways then face the deity to avoid showing their back. touch the step again and chest.
was reading my guidebook where the kids from the holy pool recognized me and became excited with the guidebook again. there was this indian guy who approached me and asked me where i wanted to visit. he said he could show me around on his motorbike since he was staying near the places i wanted to go.
coolness. so i daringly went with him. took video and pics along the way. he pointed out to me the famous ice-cream shop near the bus interchange! he brought me to see the sultan's battery where i could take a boat ride to the opposite island. he shared with me how to get there, by bus 16 and an auto-rickshaw would cost about 40 rs. i thought he was "informing" me of the tips/charges i had to pay.
then he brought me to this gorgeous temple which was not in the guidebook. the buildings all glittered in gold. he showed me around and taught me what angles i should take my pictures. amazing. he also brought me into the temple and introduced the different gods they have and the custom they follow while praying. very interesting! then we met random people and i was also shown around the marriage halls that they have. nice... and it was marble-flooring.
at the end, it was around 8pm and i gotta head back before ky starved. lol. wanted to pay him some money but he declined politely. i was amazed. tried to stuff in his pocket but he returned to me and said he just wanted to show me around and hope i had fun. 0_0... such nice people...
now waiting for the sleeper coach to go GOA... excited about the beaches, another scenery different from what we have seen. and i can get to do some shopping!
took a bus from mysore to kushalnagar. decided to go there over breakfast lol. made a call and this helpful guy said we could go there without a permit though the guidebook said it was needed. cost about 75rs.
the area is the closest feel to tibet, very peaceful and serene. very different from the india we have seen so far. of course there is a chinese feel to it but they cant speak chinese at all, english was quite limited only those stall owners knew. we stayed at this great hotel (finally not hostel), with hot showers... at night when we slept, it was so peaceful, even though there were chanting and prayers early in the morning, we could still sleep till late morning.
in the day, we walked around the neighbourhood, explored their schools (secondary and university), temples. looked so grand. ky was on a monk hunk hunt where we stood outside our hotel which was a cross-junction between the schools and the prayer area. took pictures with both cute little monks as well as ky fave "hunks" who do not look like monks at all.
very cleansing meals cos its vegetarian and whole lot of rice and noodles.
decided to go to Mangalore as a pit stop before we head to Goa. initially wanted to go Gokarna but the only bus takes 8 hours and will reach there at 9pm :( not a good timing. and ky hurt her back from the bus ride to Mangalore which was so bumpy all the way.
while she rested at the hostel, i roamed about. went to this kadri temple which the guidebook recommended... there was this holy pool where mostly guys swimming in it. took some photos as they looked excitedly at my camera. took pics of the 1000 year old bronze statue. decided to sit near the entrance of the temple and observed how people enter/exit and pray.
when they go in, they would touch the step and then their chest(heart), as they come out, they would exit sideways then face the deity to avoid showing their back. touch the step again and chest.
was reading my guidebook where the kids from the holy pool recognized me and became excited with the guidebook again. there was this indian guy who approached me and asked me where i wanted to visit. he said he could show me around on his motorbike since he was staying near the places i wanted to go.
coolness. so i daringly went with him. took video and pics along the way. he pointed out to me the famous ice-cream shop near the bus interchange! he brought me to see the sultan's battery where i could take a boat ride to the opposite island. he shared with me how to get there, by bus 16 and an auto-rickshaw would cost about 40 rs. i thought he was "informing" me of the tips/charges i had to pay.
then he brought me to this gorgeous temple which was not in the guidebook. the buildings all glittered in gold. he showed me around and taught me what angles i should take my pictures. amazing. he also brought me into the temple and introduced the different gods they have and the custom they follow while praying. very interesting! then we met random people and i was also shown around the marriage halls that they have. nice... and it was marble-flooring.
at the end, it was around 8pm and i gotta head back before ky starved. lol. wanted to pay him some money but he declined politely. i was amazed. tried to stuff in his pocket but he returned to me and said he just wanted to show me around and hope i had fun. 0_0... such nice people...
now waiting for the sleeper coach to go GOA... excited about the beaches, another scenery different from what we have seen. and i can get to do some shopping!
Wednesday, May 06, 2009
..:: 651. The One With Bangalore-Mysore ::..
now in mysore, some internet shop, freaking hot. missing yesterday's weather already...
lunch was great. we had been trying to get to MG Road but to no avail. chanced upon this indian hunk who guided us to the internet shop yest. after surfing, we went back to the shop to have lunch. had fried fish and rice (a lot of rice but very nice)100rs + 20rs ... tried masala cola (20rs)which tasted better than ky's masala soda. lol.
then again lots of walking from the shop past KG road before we decided to hop on the bus (5rs) to MG road. when we reached there, we happened to see the tourism office at church street so we went to check out where else we could go. MG road good for shopping, is like orchard road and a few pubs and stuff. 15 mins walk you can reach commercial street selling more pasar malam kind of stuff. tried some fruit that tasted like coconut, 10rs for 4 pieces pics to be up on facebook hopefully.
we also had macdonald's coke float 25rs. we went to have dinner at nearby restaurant which was empty, maybe dinner at 7 plus is still early for them. had tandoori chicken (80rs) yummy. then decided to try smoking shisha (200rs)... went over to Le Rock, a rock pub and had Fosters. (120rs)
we tried to bargain for auto-rickshaw to bring us back to our hostel since its night time. 4km, we got 70rs for a ride, which i thought can still be a little cheaper but it was below our reservation price of 100rs, we were happy. our area, chickpet, unlike the street name, no "chicks" - all men.
left our hostel early at 9 and reach the bus station ard 930 to catch a bus to mysore. they should rename the place as my(butt)sore. sat for more than 3 hours of bus ride. tried for the youth hostel which was dirt cheap 45rs per night but its 4km away from the city centre. 100rs for the auto-rickshaw which made me wonder if it would be better if we pay more to stay in the city area at least transport would be easier.
there is a festival going on at 4pm. now waiting to check into the hostel... more updates soon...
now in mysore, some internet shop, freaking hot. missing yesterday's weather already...
lunch was great. we had been trying to get to MG Road but to no avail. chanced upon this indian hunk who guided us to the internet shop yest. after surfing, we went back to the shop to have lunch. had fried fish and rice (a lot of rice but very nice)100rs + 20rs ... tried masala cola (20rs)which tasted better than ky's masala soda. lol.
then again lots of walking from the shop past KG road before we decided to hop on the bus (5rs) to MG road. when we reached there, we happened to see the tourism office at church street so we went to check out where else we could go. MG road good for shopping, is like orchard road and a few pubs and stuff. 15 mins walk you can reach commercial street selling more pasar malam kind of stuff. tried some fruit that tasted like coconut, 10rs for 4 pieces pics to be up on facebook hopefully.
we also had macdonald's coke float 25rs. we went to have dinner at nearby restaurant which was empty, maybe dinner at 7 plus is still early for them. had tandoori chicken (80rs) yummy. then decided to try smoking shisha (200rs)... went over to Le Rock, a rock pub and had Fosters. (120rs)
we tried to bargain for auto-rickshaw to bring us back to our hostel since its night time. 4km, we got 70rs for a ride, which i thought can still be a little cheaper but it was below our reservation price of 100rs, we were happy. our area, chickpet, unlike the street name, no "chicks" - all men.
left our hostel early at 9 and reach the bus station ard 930 to catch a bus to mysore. they should rename the place as my(butt)sore. sat for more than 3 hours of bus ride. tried for the youth hostel which was dirt cheap 45rs per night but its 4km away from the city centre. 100rs for the auto-rickshaw which made me wonder if it would be better if we pay more to stay in the city area at least transport would be easier.
there is a festival going on at 4pm. now waiting to check into the hostel... more updates soon...
Tuesday, May 05, 2009
..:: 650. The One With Bangalore ::..
what a way to start the trip... the flight got retimed from 830pm to 1030pm. then my friend lost her phone at the airport :( when we were queuing for the flight, it got delayed because one of the plane lights was faulty.
was queuing to check in when a family came to approach me to "borrow" my luggage space. they tried to help me source for accommodation and soon they started asking other people in the queue if they knew of cheap accommodation... soon i heard one big group of people shouting out names of hotels and some asking what the budget was... crazily friendly.
the flight there was bad. budget terminal motto - enjoy the difference. what's the enjoyment? saw a middle-aged lady beside me stretched her leg across the aisle and onto the husband's arm rest. couldnt sleep on the plane.
amazed that we were able to board bus 9 which cost us 125rps to get to majestic which is the town area. we were swarmed by people driving the auto-rickshaw asking where we wanna go and recommending hotels. the "auto-shaw" cost 10rps at night as we realised they go by meter in the day.
found one super scary hostel that was great for shooting horror scenes. the paint of the wall cracked, with the fan making funny noises, a basin, squatting toilet... could hear dogs barking at night, hard to fall asleep, reminded me of when i'm home where the dogs bark while i tried to sleep :(
morning i woke up trying to brush my teeth and the moment i turn on the tap, brown-coloured water came out. i was stunned. but it became clear after a while. used that to wash my face, no choice. hopefully i wont have pimple outbreak.
toured around the area, checked out the train and bus stations... chanced upon an indian wedding where the band was super enthusiastic to take pics. the groom had to sit on a "decorated" horse to fetch the bride.
lots of walking and had our first meal, dough like stuff called idli and vada which cost 20rps. mineral water 1L for 12rps... planning to go mysore tml! hopefully more natural scenery.
what a way to start the trip... the flight got retimed from 830pm to 1030pm. then my friend lost her phone at the airport :( when we were queuing for the flight, it got delayed because one of the plane lights was faulty.
was queuing to check in when a family came to approach me to "borrow" my luggage space. they tried to help me source for accommodation and soon they started asking other people in the queue if they knew of cheap accommodation... soon i heard one big group of people shouting out names of hotels and some asking what the budget was... crazily friendly.
the flight there was bad. budget terminal motto - enjoy the difference. what's the enjoyment? saw a middle-aged lady beside me stretched her leg across the aisle and onto the husband's arm rest. couldnt sleep on the plane.
amazed that we were able to board bus 9 which cost us 125rps to get to majestic which is the town area. we were swarmed by people driving the auto-rickshaw asking where we wanna go and recommending hotels. the "auto-shaw" cost 10rps at night as we realised they go by meter in the day.
found one super scary hostel that was great for shooting horror scenes. the paint of the wall cracked, with the fan making funny noises, a basin, squatting toilet... could hear dogs barking at night, hard to fall asleep, reminded me of when i'm home where the dogs bark while i tried to sleep :(
morning i woke up trying to brush my teeth and the moment i turn on the tap, brown-coloured water came out. i was stunned. but it became clear after a while. used that to wash my face, no choice. hopefully i wont have pimple outbreak.
toured around the area, checked out the train and bus stations... chanced upon an indian wedding where the band was super enthusiastic to take pics. the groom had to sit on a "decorated" horse to fetch the bride.
lots of walking and had our first meal, dough like stuff called idli and vada which cost 20rps. mineral water 1L for 12rps... planning to go mysore tml! hopefully more natural scenery.
Friday, May 01, 2009
..:: 649. The One With Last Exam in NTU ::..
what? adam lambert bottom two this week? but i am glad he was in bottom two. quite a "strategic" move whether it was deliberate. him being bottom two this week, all his fans will call doubly hard next week so he will most likely sail through top 3. him being bottom 2 also gave a gauge on how much they need to call.
told ya, the show needs some oestrogen going on. i wont be surprised if kris is out next week. just like how fantasia kept being in the bottom two and managed to win in the end.
final paper! i was the first person for bh227. haha.
tml x-men movie gala at 3 and hopefully get to meet my clique after that. havent start packing! oh no.
what? adam lambert bottom two this week? but i am glad he was in bottom two. quite a "strategic" move whether it was deliberate. him being bottom two this week, all his fans will call doubly hard next week so he will most likely sail through top 3. him being bottom 2 also gave a gauge on how much they need to call.
told ya, the show needs some oestrogen going on. i wont be surprised if kris is out next week. just like how fantasia kept being in the bottom two and managed to win in the end.
final paper! i was the first person for bh227. haha.
tml x-men movie gala at 3 and hopefully get to meet my clique after that. havent start packing! oh no.
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