Tried to get to the Robert Morris Observatorium but failed, I only noticed that this iconic piece of land art was in the area today, hope to get there tomorrow.
Went for a run in the cold, felt cold and old afterwards. A bit out of practice I guess not having run since leaving home in October.
Yes there is a layer of ice on the water in the pix below
Cold and clear day in Amsterdam yesterday.
Amsterdam caters for a variety of tastes
Industrial scale Nutella
And extreme
Sort of conventional
More sort of Amsterdam
Hmm mm!
There is heaps more to see there, all I did was a canal tour and then walked around for a while.
Just some pix from near Nijmegen
Short days here, and a watery place.
Rosemary, Daniel and Jeroen.
Managed to hang in there to 3am and get on the 747, I was worried it would be old and tired like the last one I was on, but no it was in great nick, go KLM.
The checkin person said she had given me a good seat because I looked tired, and indeed it was, at the back where there are 2 seats on the side not 3, so space to hang legs out the Window side, without the aisle traffic hassles.
Managed a few hours of sleep, so not in too bad shape getting to Holland.
Took the EU queue cos it was shorter and faster.
Amsterdam and Lelystad had foggy news and cold to offer this morning.
Finley found his way up to Daniel and Judiths place too, so good to see him.
Now the jet lag and coming up with a European plan.
I am now in Delhi, enjoying the hospitality of Mark, with whom I attended primary school.
Lovely place
If a little overdone in places like the power supply for the 2 bedroom house
Went to the Indira Gandhi Museum, and to the Mahatma Gandhi Smriti, which are both sited where they were respectively assassinated. pics from the Mahatma site
Then to Khan Market, for my coffee fix and to buy some shirts and shoes that are not to the taste of some i have asked. it is a relatively upmarket area aimed at westerners a bit.
Then today I went into Chandni Chowk in old Delhi, and hired a Rickshaw, more about that later, but if you don’t they just keep hassling you.
Anyway on with the show
Up to the spice market first
The up on top of a building to look around
On the stairway
Views moving about
So then comes the crunch, where I get to pay him what I think it is worth for his services, at his starting point I could have hired a car and driver for 5 days, anyway get down to 500 rupees and he has done very well out of me, Mark says it should have been around 200. Hate the guilt feeling and all that they lay on you, but hey…. I’ll survive and i am not broke, nor he below
So now walking to the metro station I did not buy this
Hmm maybe it would have matched the shoes.
The train to Hauz Khaz and walked back from there passing the fellows below along the way.
Dinner tonight is at the Italian cultural center, with a Michelin star chef, fundraising for the Italian earthquake.
Another day of Delhi tomorrow, then effectively leaving the following day for Amsterdam.
Just quickly some pics from the second part of their wedding I have been to.
The first part was lunch, this part was followed by dinner.
Then the Karaoke, an international cricket umpire was first.
Loved the sleeve
Today’s startup
Sunday night session
The last meal I had at the wedding, this chicken curry was followed by a mutton biryani and ice cream.
Update:
This is I believe Jimmys niece, I gave her a lol lie I got from the hotel, then had her coming back for more. None more to be had though
And my effort at the fireworks below. There is some reason that Parsees can’t set off fireworks, luckily non Parsee Jay was available.
Now I seem to be back more where facilities are available I am updating old blog posts, adding pix and commentary.
Not how you should do this, but …. so from Vadodara onwards have new content.
Been on the train from Madgaon to Surat 16 hours now, my piece of the train shown below.
More later
Did manage some sleep, but sleep has been trashed by getting ill the other day and having to get to the train by 4 am.
Walking through Margao at 3 am. With all the street dogs was a bit unnerving, also was hard work to find my place in the Wagon.
In Surat now anyway, though earlier than expected by Jay, so enjoying a night in a hotel.
Recovering well!
I am now in a hotel at Madgoan/Margao, I have a train to catch at 4 am.
Yesterday evening my digestive system finally rebelled on me, I am blaming the fish curry.
A bad nights sleep and still feeling a bit queezy but…
If I found a McDonald’s I would be in to see if I could eat something familiar.
I have bananas and banana cake water and fruit juices for the trip.
Shared the trip out of Arombol with the same folk I went there with except for Ziv the Israeli.
Jon gave up on cashless India and the yoga course and will be cross country skiing in Norway instead.
Margao
Queueing at an ATM that may get some cash loaded in it some time soon.
Then again it may not, nothing may happen. But only beach lounging to do otherwise.
If it does get filled we can only withdraw 2500 rupees,about 50NZD.
It might also include the new 2000 rupee note which is hard to spend as no one has change.
Still getting a unique holiday experience.
Will update later.
10:30 now a brinks van and a guy with a gun were here but no change.
At least we get to wait in the shade.
Update:
So at 2pm 2 guys with a metal box and a guy with a gun turned up and filled the ATM.
I was 6th in line at this stage.
A limit of 2500 rupees per withdrawal, but apparently you could just do more withdrawals.
Any I used the 2 cards I had for my account, the eftpos and the debit and got 5000.
Jon from Norway missed out by 2 people from getting any cash and has now abandoned his yoga retreat and gone home.
