[Back in the BIG I]

After resting my bony bum in Kathmandu I did a 2 day raft trip in a nearby river. Rather tame compared to my African experience, [see entry 26th February 2003] the highlight being camping on a sandy bend of a river under a starry night sky.

With monsoon hitting Nepal I travelled with a Singaporean south, entering India on the 28th April. On a side note, some interesting points I learnt about that little island called Singapore-
* chewing gum is illegal to sell but legal to buy or 'posses'..
* government 'bribes' people to be in shape by offering free gifts if they run a mere 2.4km...why not 2.5?
* one party politics that seems to have remained in power since independence- kind of explains the above..

Anyways...after days of buses and trains we arrive in Varanasi- & true to form, the rickshaw driver tried to scam us, it happened to me the last time too. We stopped in some obscure alley where 2 porters conveniently appeared and were TOO keen to 'take' us to the hotel. (our hotel and 3 fake copies) Refused to be taken for a ride, I discounted the taxi fare as he didnt take us to the agreed destination. The driver and his side kick, demanded the full amount and became aggressive; it was a fiery standoff- the closest it came to a fist fight on my travels to date. I demanded we go to the police and with luck one magically appeared on a bicycle soon after. He seemed rather apologetic about the whole affair; no doubt he has seen it before. I left the discounted fare with a courteous "F...Off Mate" from the taxi driver. Tourist 1 : Local 0! The incident supports my theory that despite 1 billion 'gentle' people one can always find an extreme in India!

This time I ventured across the Ganges River by boat to visit the sandy flood plains that are varse and could be a desert if it wasnt for the city behind me. Objects get caught on the bends of the river; I was curious. Bits of burial cloth, flowers then my first dead body. Not yet decomposed, with renewed interest I walked on. Bones, skulls, bags containing who knows what..it was ghoulish.

At the point where we stumbled across 2 dogs tearing and eating the leg flesh of a female corpse was when my curiosity was more than fulfilled- & and with a strange stomach feeling I turned back. Passing 2 dead cows half submerged in the water, a corpse nearby, gave a wrenching smell that stunk worse than a colony of seals or the Egyptian train toilets...For the first time in my life I had to fight the urge to puke as the sights and smells got the better of me.

Heading for the beaches in the state of Goa, we stopped for a day in Bombay. My 2nd time here and I actually liked it this time. I guess its all relative. I arrived in India on my first entry into Bombay; but after experiencing India, Bombay is nice. Clean (all relative to India offcourse) tree lined, Victorian influenced architecture..I was amazed I liked it the 2nd time. Celebrated my birthday by buying some educational books to read on the beach.

Palolem, Goa. Ive been here 2 weeks now, my hut is right on the beach, watching the fishermen or the setting sun from the balcony keeps reminding me of the question "why do I need to leave!?". Lazy days reading books, swimming, chatting and generally just avoiding getting hot in the unbelievably high humidity. The monsoon has started now and the days are generally overcast and the heavy rains are mostly at night. The hut leaks in the downpour and as the weather deteriorates it signals time to leave; tomorrow I move inland to Hampi.

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