Hannah’s Weblog

Well…..What can I say, we have found what we were looking for. A beautiful coconut tree lined golden sand beach with more sunshine than we can handle! Palolem is one of Goa’s most gorgeous beaches, and Kim and I may stay here for another week….

We have spent long, lazy days on the beach, played in the ocean, been waited on from our sun loungers, enjoyed sunset dinners and probably drank too many cocktails. It has been a fun packed week, and it has flown by! I am again hung over today, and have just got back from Agonda, a beach not too far from where we are staying. We have sadly had to say goodbye to our lovely new friends Analie and Paul who are leaving today, but Vanda and Bill have until Saturday. Last night the six of us went out for a lovely lovely meal. It was our last together in India and also an early celebration for my birthday that is on Monday. I was so surprised that they had bought me cards and presents, I am so so lucky!! We had some great food, and even a bottle of champagne!! Kim and I will have to tighten those purse strings next week. After dinner, we went to check out a silent Audio party….and it was so much fun! Everyone wore headphones, so that the party was infact silent, except the kind of sketchy singing along that everyone so naturally does. It was a surrreal experience but I am already looking forward to going again next Thursay!

The weather started off early in the week with rain in the evenings, but now (fingers crossed) we won’t see any more. The sun here has been scorching, so our tans are coming along very nicely indeed We are hoping to have a quieter week next week, with some early morning yoga on the beach and some earlier nights. Getting in at 7am is kind of taking its toll…….well we will have to see….

Check out my recently uploaded photos!!!!!

Kim and I are now staying in Fort Kochin. We arrived yesterday morning and will leave tomorrow. Kochin is a Colonial town in the heart of Kerala’s backwaters. Heavily infuenced by Portuguese churches, British Raj architecture, Chinese fishing nets and quintessential chic European living. The Lonely Planet writes that you can hear the sigh of relief breathed by backpackers when they arrive here, and I think I added to this communal sound. Not that I was relieved because I had been somewhere less nice, it’s just a feeling that I definitely felt. It is a beautiful costal town, even if the rain is still falling. Very picturesque and inviting. The fishing nets that line the shore are fascinating, we sat and watched the dolphins as we enjoyed fresh banana and pineapple juices. It seems thanks to the rain, Kim and I have sampled many of the cafes and tea shops here……..

Yesterday kim and I spent the entire day wandering the streets in the pouring rain. We were soaked to the bone, but had no choice as we had to book our train tickets. The locals looked on in disbelief as they all sheltered the torrential down pour. Once we were wet however, we may aswell have just kept walking. We navigated the streets of Ernakulum (a short ferry ride from fort Kochin) well, sucessfully booked our tickets, waded through a million dirty puddles, ate cakes, masala dosas and enjoyed the very British weather….

I was reading a book about kerala in a funky little tea shop last night, and the comic wrote:

“There is winter in Kerala, when it rains-only time the earth cools by a degree or too”

It seems that Kerala a rich green state is used to rain, only just not this early….We are looking forward to moving on now. the plan is to take the train north, depending on the weather, if it is sunny then we will head straight to the beach if not, then to Hampi, a place I have been looking forward too for a long time. Then Gokarna, Goa and back up to Mumbai. I cannot believe we have less than two weeks left……We have done so much, but now our time is nearing a close it seems to be wizzing past!! I hope for time to slow down, the sunshine to reappear and the last weeks of out time in India to be relaxing.

“rain rain please go away….come again when we are far away!”

It seems that the heavens have decided to open over southern India, and remain that way all day everyday……..

Kim and I planned on staying a week or so in Varkala, but due to the cloudy skies and heavy rain we decided to move on. Varkala was beautiful however, the long sandy beaches and cliff top cafes, bars and hotels were still charming despite the miserable weather. We were lucky enough to have one full day on the beach and enjoy the mishievous wave but it was just not long enough…..We met some lovely people, did some early morning exercise and rooftop yoga, it would have been nice to stay longer. Sue a lovely lady we sat with one afternoon from brighton had just come from a Ayurvedic centre and raved about her time there. Kim and I decided some massage treatment would be a good idea so we called them and booked in for the following day….

We sadly waved goodbye to the beach and moved north up through Kerala. A lovely state, where the people, language and food are all different and incredibly pleasant. A train, a bus and a rickshaw ride later we pulled up outside Matt India centre. Years ago this place was a working hospital, so is huge and has that clinical empty, wide corridor ambience. Now people can and still do go there for treatments, so it was an experience Kim and I will never forget. We were immeadiately welcomed with opened arms and huge smiles (smiles I suspect that never fade) and shown to our room. A large room, with a bathroom and a mosquito net covering the bed. We dumped our bags and were told to get ready for our massage………it turned out that we were very lucky to recieve a treatment at this time, as the ladies usually finish before lunch, so we waited. Four girls showed up 5 minutes later, smiling ‘yes madame follow me’……Kim went one way I went the other. So now Ayuveda is an ancient science of Indian herbal medicine and holistic healing, focusing on treating the whole organism instead of just the illness, using herbal treatments, massage and other therapies. The special dark oil is a vital element in the massage, and they sure did use plenty of it!! i had to strip, and the massage (by two girls) lasted 45 minutes. The treatment includes a series of symetrical rhythmic massages, heavy pressure and lots of oil. Apparently very good for circulation, and general well being.

After our massage they bought us a bucket of hot water and we showered. Dinner was to be served at 7.30. We washed and dressed then wandered down to the dining room. So, this was an old hospital, so there were many old empty rooms, a little eery. Kim and I teased eachother by imagining that we were in some kind of horror movie, where the pink drink that they served us ( incidently a very healthy rose water) was some kind of drug, and that we were going to be used for strange experiments….. Luckily we were wrong! HA! Dinner was also Ayurvedic, a garlicy soup, dal and roti and a banana for desert. Simple but delicious.

The following morning we met the other guests. There were four other foreign people staying there while we were there. Sir Yannick (as he liked to be known) a lively, comedical chap staying for 6 weeks for treatment for an illness, Colette from Holland, an art and art history teacher taking a sabatical, in India hoping to learn the wonders of yoga. Martha, a fantastically lively bubbly lady from Colombia, always smiling, laughing…so so wonderful, and Sabine, a very glam lady women from Belgium who left shortly after we arrived. A great family of people who welcomed us into their tight nit society. A fantastic community of people that pass through, look after eachother and enjoy fantastic conversations over breakfast, lunch and dinner….

We were fortuate enough to take a trip along the famous Kerala back waters whilst staying there. Martha, Collette, Kim and and I enjoyed a lovely afternoon crusing these magical waters. These waters are actually on the ‘top things to do before you die’ list and are so beautiful. (I’ll upload photos soon)

The wonderful hospitality we recieved from everyone at the centre was like nothing else I have experienced. I was really sad to move on, I hope that I will be able to visit all the people I met in their home countries. We left Thursday morning, Sheridan one of the lovely guys that work there gave us a lift to Kochi, where we are now….

Kim and I are going to treat ourselves to some fresh seafood as the exchange rate has taken the rupee up to 80 rupees  per pound!! YIPPEEE!!!!!!

It was delicious, we chose our fish and haggled the price….6 huge king prawns (RS 300) for our starter and a red snapper ( RS 200) served up with garlic butter, salad and rice. All washed down with a couple of bottles of Kingfisher beer….oh yeh and a chocolate and banana crepe to finish it off! The most we have spent on a dinner so far and still under a fiver!  

Kolkata, Calcutter, Colkata……??! Whats in a name? I seem to see it written differently all over this huge city. Once a great base for the East India Company, home to Mother Teresa and one of India’s largest most populated city, Kim and I arrived exhausted yeterday morning. After a relaxing day wandering, a movie last night ( which had an interval and where people clapped and laughed all the way through ) we feel happy and at home once again. I had heard lots of negativity about this city, especially regarding the poverty, but to Kim and to my great surprise it a city of many treats. People wash on the streets, life seems to overflow and spill out of every corner and alleyway. Unlike other cities we have been Kolkata has lots of inviting street food. We are planning on sampling it all today, and this is perfect for us as we are on an extreamly TIGHT budget! It is 30 degrees, and we are happy in his tropical exotic city! The air con in this cafe however is making my fingers tingle. Tonight we will fly down to Chennai, then travel down south. We cannot wait to lie on some of southern India’s gorgeous beaches, and sample some fresh seafood……My time is running out, so have to go!

After our two weeks in the Himalaya, it felt both surreal and unsettling returning to Kathmandu. The entire experience of sleeping in sub zero tea lodges, never stripping below layers of thermals and trekking for many hours everyday was a routine that Kim and I really settled into. I will admit however that I did miss the communication with the outside world, not being able to check emails, or call my loved ones was something that challenged me both emotionally and mentally. Once we reached our goal of making it to basecamp (which is not possible for many, so quite the achievement) the sense of relief and satisfaction was misplaced as we still had four days trekking back down to Lukla. So many hours walking, time to think, contemplate what I will do with my life, take in the breathtaking views…rardy ra……returning to civilisations as I know it was quite a major step. I think in hinds sight all these feelings were exaggerated by the fact we had both built up in our minds that returning to Kathmandu was somehow returning to ‘our world’, by which I mean the world that we had been dreaming about whilst in the mountains…..civilisation, boyfriends, hot showers, communication….etc etc but when we arrived back into Kathmandu the reality was that we were still a million miles away from all of it, we were still travelling for another month, and still had to deal with slow internet connections (like this one where I have just stupidly cancelled downloading photos…..so am giving up …..), oh, I must stop moaning! This computer is stressing me out.

Ok, I will take a deep breath…… So as I was saying returning to Kathmandu kind of left us feeling numb. We both missed the structure, peace and quiet, exercise and absolute beauty of our trek. It took u a while to return to civilisation and to prepare ourselves for the rest of our trip. So what better way to do this than to sign up for the second highest bungee jump in the world…mmmmman we are suckers for punishment! hahahhah…..

The Last Resort.
This was something Kim had often talked about, something I clearly remember saying to our friend James that I would not be a part of ’she will have to go alone’ I said, ‘there is no way I can watch her do it…’ hahah makes me laugh now, seeing as I too signed up for it. I must still have been affected by the altitude! (an excuse we all came accustomed to using) We had persuaded Paul, one of the guys from our trek, who unfortuately didn’t make it to basecamp to come along with us. He paid up front (for two jumps may I add) while Kim and I couldn’t part with the money, instead we paid for a ‘go and see’ packaged, which included transport there and lunch, and the chance to jump. 3 hours out of Kathmandu, the clean mountainous air, beautiuful remote villages and people was well worth it enough! We arrived at the bridge, and I took a deep breath! Oh My Goodness!! The bridge, which was built for the jump sat graciously 165m above a gushing river and stretched more than 100m across the picture perfect gauge.
It looked like a tiny thin piece of wire and I had to convince myself just to cross it to the resort. The resort was gorgeous, it was a brilliant sunny day, and the luxurious bar and lounging area was a real treat and definitely helped us to relax. We were briefed and weighed, and the first group ushered back to the bridge. Kim and I wanted to watch some people go first whilst still deciding whether or not to go through with it! The viewing platform made it all the more real! I was going to have to do it, I paced back and forth and when the time came we paid. There was no going back.
Kim, Paul and I headed for the bridge. Quite honestly my memory of the event is somewhat blurred, I can remember doing ‘rock, scissors, stones’ with Kim to decide who would go first. As some people well know, I always bl**dy win!! Dam my good luck!!!! Paul dissapeared over the edge and it was my turn………(My hands get clamy just thinking back to it) I stepped into a harness and my feet were tied. The bungee master (what a cool title) took my hand and led me under the safety bar onto the ledge. I stood there, nothing to my left, nothing to my right and certainly nothing infront of me……I was told to not look down, do not think about it and jump….so what did I do, I looked down, thought “what the HELL am I doing” and didn’t jump! I was stood, arms out, toes over the edge and the bungee master’s words, ‘this is your final chance’……I glanced at Kim, shouted to the others who were cheering for me, “I CANT DO IT” then I was gone! head first plumetting to the river! Like I said my memory of how I managed to throw myself off the bridge is blurry, but the feeling once I hade left it was amazing!! The adrenalin kept pumping and I screamed all the way down, and up…and down!! Then I watched as Kim took her turn…….Definitely a highlight of the trip! Would I do it again? mmmmm Im not sure, I’d like to think I could but we would have to see……It was an amazing natural high and we both felt on top of the world, we enjoyed a fantastic lunch, well deserved glass of wine and lots of laughs with the other jumpers………

The trip back, I sat and watched the Nepalese world go by. I felt fantastic! The sunset made the red earth glow a gorgeous amber. The chisseled landscape of the farmed mountains was so beautiful as the light faded and we neared Kathmandu. Once again returning to civilisation……a day I will never forget! That evening we enjoyed an evening of Vodka fizzes, popcorn and a rooftop bar with our new friends. a fantastic way to end our time in Nepal. It is somewhere that I know I will return to one day, and would highly recommend to anyone.

Tuesday afternoon we left Nepal, an overnight bus back to India. We crossed the border, hung around a dismal city named Suligiri, then another over night journey by train to Kolkata. Back on the beaten track, and the challenges of travelling India, but we have gorgeous beaches and sunshine to look forward to so it is smiles all round!….

Hey everyone,

I thought it was about time to update you all on what’s been going on in the world of Han and I the past few weeks.

How is everyone? I hope you are all well.

Well……we have just returned from Everest Base Camp (5,350m) We feel quite delirious due to the quantity of oxygen! The trek itself was fine, (lower down) really beautiful scenery, steady ups and downs, good weather and comfy lodges. When we started to get past 4,000 metres the scenery turned baron and moon like!! The altitude also started to take effect on our group. We started with eight members but only six made it to Base Camp, due to altitude sickness, which was a shame. The day we walked to Base Camp it was -20! Our hair, eye brows and eye lashes froze and we looked about eighty years old! All worth it though! (I can say that now!) To see Everest was amazing, it felt kind of magical. After two weeks of no transport (apart from Yaks), people, noise and general civilisation, it was a bit of a shock to come back to Kathmandu.

On Tuesday we are travelling (if there are no road blocks) back to India. We have a flight from Kolkata to Chennai, where we will begin our South India adventure. We will have to do it quite quick as we will be flying back to the UK on 9th April and have a lot of places to visit.

I’m really exited to see everyone. x