INDIA 2007

Hi Everyone, 

Just a quick e-mail to let you know that I arrived safely, made all my connections and am now waiting in the hotel lobby for a taxi to take me to the train station. I have no idea what the train will be like to Haridwar but life's an adventure..........right. The trip so far has been interesting. I have the feeling that another hilarious travel journal is already in the works.

To sum up India, we passed a commercial truck on the way to the hotel from the airport. It was professionally painted with the slogan:

"BUILDING TURST WORLDWIDE"

So typical of India.

It's 32 degrees, very humid, relatively smog free and the malaria pills are working a treat...............

Anyway, I must dash.

Love you all.

Geoff

Hi Everyone,

Thank you so much for all your e-mails.

Just a short e-mail to let you know that I am safe. I arrived at the Ashram/Orphanage on Friday. The train left right on time and arrived an hour late........that's India for you.

I have been blown away by the orphanage and the children. I am now "Geoff Uncle" to 63 amazing children ranging in age from under 1 yr to about 17 yrs. I can't even begin to describe the way I feel about Sri Ram and the children. The day starts at 5.15am with prayers, physical education and yoga, then an hour to rest before breakfast (we all sit on the floor in the kitchen/dining room.....it's total chaos), then playtime with the children (they have school holidays until April 5th), lunch, quiet time, play time, prayers, dinner and then bed.

Yesterday, I was the Delhi to Haridwar Express ferrying children in a toy cart all over the Ashram. Then I was the Haridwar to Jaipur Express. I have played cricket with the boys (photos to prove it......first time in 34 years and still NOT OUT), playing on the swings, the slides, picking guava's from the trees and yesterday, constantly being the brunt of every conceivable April Fool's joke known to Man.

This is such a happy place and it is amazing because most of the children have come from really horrible backgrounds. One little girl (Arpita) was found with both arms broken (at less than 2 years old) and cigarette burns over her entire body. She is still emotionally scarred but she is fully integrated with the rest of the children. Babaji, who is father to all the children, has done an amazing job saving the children, instilling values and educating them. If I could be 1% of what he is.......I would be happy.

On Saturday, John & Irene (a retired couple from England, now living in Australia) and I walked down to the Ganges and I bathed in it.........holy crap..........of all the things I have every done......that tops it. It is fast flowing and it was amazing to sit in it and have it wash over me. Very spiritual. It's also a watering hole for Wild Elephants (one killed a man outside the Ashram a couple of months ago) so that was a little less spiritual.

Unbelievably, Babaji runs an Ashram in Santa Cruz and Salt Spring Island. I have travelled 18,000 km's and there is an Ashram within 20 miles of my home !!!!!!!!! BUT on the plus side, I would never have met such fabulous children.

Anyway, we are off to Haridwar this afternoon, catching an auto rickshaw that charges 30 cents to go into town (it's 8km's away). The only problem.......it picks up everyone on the way. Last time, John and Irene said there were 23 people riding what is essentially a golf cart and I thought the London Tube was bad !!!!!!!!

I love you all and miss you all.

Smile often.

Ciao

Geoff

Hi Everyone,

I have another few minutes on the computer so I thought I would send out another quick update.

Later today, I will be leaving the orphanage and catching a vic-ram back into Haridwar and then, hopefully, the 6pm train back to Delhi. It's scheduled to arrive at about 11.30pm.........the key word being ABOUT. Tomorrow, with a heavy heart, I am booked on a Virgin-Atlantic flight back to London and then hopefully, on Tuesday, I can catch a standby flight back home.

Yesterday, there was another addition to the Sri Ram family. A tiny 2 day old baby girl, weighing 3 lbs who was found in a ditch by two old men who had the presence of mind to take her to the local hospital. They brought her over here but she was so cold that they took her back, to the hospital, for a couple of days to hopefully raise her body temperature. Swapna had her laying on a hot water bottle to keep her warm.

The population of India is increasing by 20 million a year. That's equivalent to the total population of Australia. 4 million are immigrants and 16 million are newborns. Unfortunately, couples only want boys because they feel that a boy will support them for life, a girl will not. It's mind boggling. Even if 10% of the newborns are girls, that’s 1.6 million girls that will be potentially abandoned and left to die every year. The Indian Government wants to open state run orphanages but I really can't imagine what they would be like. The children here are so lucky to have Babaji. Interestingly, Sri Ram will not allow people to adopt the children. They are treated like family. They are housed, educated and provided with the best health care possible at no cost. The Sri Ram Medical Clinic provides free health care for the surrounding villages and the Sri Ram school charges a nominal charge, to the village children, to attend school.

Today, is the first day back to school, for all the children, after having a week off. Irene, John and I attended the opening day ceremonies and I took a peek around all the classes because the children had insisted that I see their classrooms. They all wear brown and beige school uniforms and they look adorable.

Irene, John and I had noticed a peculiar plant growing all round the area. It is everywhere including the ashram. It looked, smell and tasted like MARIJUANA. It is the local weed........no pun intended. Natalie said it is quite mild and doesn't bud so it's not on par with marijuana found in other parts of the world but still...........you have such incredible poverty (many people in Shyampur-Kangri live in grass huts) and the place is literally blanketed with weed. That's the fascinating thing about India..........nothing really makes sense.

There is another orphanage about 35 km's down the road that is for handicapped children. Most are victims of polio and have lost limbs. John said it was an amazing place so when I come back in late October/early November, I am going to visit them as well. I have promised Kavina (who is the School Headmistress) that I will come back and teach a mini Gemmology program for the older children. I am also going to talk to the British and Canadian Gemmological Associations to see if they will co-sponsor one student each year to learn Gemmology if they are interested. It's the old adage "You can feed a man a fish or teach him to fish for a lifetime". I have promised to donate my time to tutor the student and come out once a year to prepare and monitor exams. It finally feels like all the pieces of life's jig-saw are coming together. 

Anyway, enough of the mushy stuff.........I hear Vancouver had snow and it's cold. Well.......it's 30 degrees here by 8.30am, cloudless blue skies, I have a sunburn on my neck, am completely relaxed and I'm loving it Jerry.

Look after yourselves.

Love & Peace

Geoff

Hi Everyone,

Just another quick e-mail to let you know that I am back in London. Caught the 6pm train from Haridwar to Delhi. It left on time and arrived early.............what can I say. No problem finding a taxi, they hunt you down the moment you step off the train. We haggled and I won...........sort of......because he got lost.......not sure if it was intentional or not......in the end, I paid him the extra 50 rupees he wanted initially because I just wanted to go to bed. I have been up at 5am every morning since being in India and it's not a lot of fun. On the last day, I mentioned to Andrea (who is one of the care-givers) that I was finally getting used to cold showers and I could understand now how the children must feel every morning. She seemed surprised and informed me that everyone has hot water.........I somehow got the only room that doesn't have it............I was totally bummed out. Mind you, at $ 7.50 a night including three meals, I can't complain.

Decent room at SunCity Hotel in Delhi, taxi to the airport and the Virgin-Atlantic flight left on time but arrived 30 minutes late due to headwinds. I had some trouble getting the 24 copper canisters of "The Ganges Water" through Security. I had decided to check in one bag so I didn't think it would be a major problem. It showed up on the x-ray machine and the security guy asked me what it was. I told him and he seemed really confused.......bloody tourists. Finally he asked me if they were empty.........I said "Yes" and he waved me through. Scary.............they could have been filled with explosives. Now I have to get them all back to Canada with security people who speak English. I'm not dumping them out so we may have a fight on our hands. I am just praying that I get a Hindi Brit Security person because he would die if they were thrown out. The water is considered that sacred. On the other hand, he may try to confiscate them and give them to his family since it is every Hindu's goal to make a pilgrimage to The Ganges and bathe in the waters.  

London is such a culture shock from being in India. Considering what I paid each day at the Ashram/Orphanage, paying $ 25.00 for a Hummus/Grilled Red Pepper baguette with fries, a side salad and 1/2 pint of Stella Beer was hard to take................the prices in London are incredible.

Anyway, I'm off to do some sightseeing, have a couple of pints, a sandwich at Pret A Manger, read The Sun newspaper (did you know they have a naked Page 3 girl........), watch a football match on the telly at the pub and just generally chill out in the Big Smoke.

Cheers for now.

Ciao

Geoff

Friday, April 6th, 2007

Well I have to confess that the moment I got back to London, it felt like home. I have come back so many times, in the last three years, that everything seems so familiar. Picked up my "Oyster" 7 day pass for a whopping £ 23 for unlimited travel in Zones 1 & 2 (which encompasses most of London) and headed into town on the tube. I usually stay at the YHA Hostel at St Pancras but this time, due to the fact it is Easter, I had to book a room at the YHA St Pauls. The hostel used to be the Choirboys Schoolhouse (sounds almost frightening) and I was really not sure what to expect. To be honest, it's not on par with YHA St Pancras but in London, any room at £ 22 a night is a steal. As I checked in, I noticed that the "Single Room" rate was only £ 9 more so I asked if they had anything available. They did, but not until Sunday night. I am getting weary of sharing a room with twenty-somethings so I grabbed at least two nights of peace and quiet and settled for two nights of mayhem.

It seemed the "Language Of Choice" in Room 2 was French. Don't get me wrong, I have nothing fundamentally against the French (o.k........I'm lying.......I am English after all) so I decided to throw my bags into a storage locker, grab a shower and head to bed. If you have followed my travel adventures over the last couple of years, I have this "Thing" about British plumbing. Basically......it doesn't work. So.......I was pleasantly surprised to get a lukewarm shower with some decent water pressure. Despite the fact that I was dog tired, I still woke up at 5am (who says you can't be conditioned to do almost anything ?) and lay awake for an hour planning my day ahead. There are certain things I love about England. I love having a tea at Pret A Manger and reading one of the trashy English newspapers. I love chocolate bars (especially Toffee Crisp, Lion and Double Deckers), a good pint of beer, watching football in a crowded pub, Cornish Pasties, the sights and sounds, the tube, English Bobbies. London is such a magical place. It's just teaming with people from every conceivable part of the world.

Saturday, April 8th, 2007

I headed south to the Millennium Bridge, which is one of many bridges that crosses the Thames, took a stroll along the riverbank (at 7am in the morning, it's deserted), crossed back over the Thames on Blackfriars Bridge, back to the Hostel for breakfast, then off to my favourite internet cafe (at £ 1 an hour, it is significantly cheaper than the hostel and the computers are faster and more reliable) in my favourite part of town (Leicester Square/Piccadilly Circus) to re-aquaint myself with the outside world. After catching up on all the e-mails, I headed to the Pret, ordered "One White Tea, White Like Me", read The Sun and then headed off looking for the Celtic Subbuteo team for Amanda, Cadbury Easter Eggs for Rachel, a ploughman's sandwich from Tesco, a packet of Walker's Salt and Vinegar Crisps and then off to the Euston Flyer to watch Chelsea play Tottenham while enjoying a pint of London Pride.

Chelsea won, which was good, the beer was exceptional and the pub was relatively smoke free. After the game, I headed back to the hostel, grabbed my camera, another quick jaunt over the Millennium Bridge, some photos of St Paul's Cathedral and then back into town for dinner.

Horror of all horrors, the Pret had sold out of my favourite "Crayfish & Rocket" salad so I headed off across the street and grabbed two dubious slices of "Vegetarian" pizza at £ 1.50 a slice. Remind me to check the exact definition of a pizza. Does it technically have to have tomato sauce and cheese on it or is it suffice to have a soggy piece of lukewarm dough, cut into triangles, with a few pieces of corn, black olive and green pepper randomly sprinkled across it ? To say it was the worst pizza ever would be an understatement. Maybe I have been spoiled by the three hearty meals at the Ashram but at $ 7 for two slices of pizza, I expected more. Mind you, twice in India, I ordered "Vegetarian" samosa's and turnovers, specifically being assured that they did not have any meat in them, only to find out that they didn't have anything in them at all. Again, technically, they were "Vegetarian" but surely, like the pizza, they should have at least been in contact with some form of vegetation.........shouldn't they ?

On the subject of India, two curious things happened to me. Firstly, it would appear, that I am a chronic "Winker". I had no idea that I did it, I am sure it is not a nervous twitch but it seems to unsettle the average Indian. An old chap at the Ashram (who moved there after his wife died), took me to one side and mentioned it. I asked him why it was wrong and that really seemed to throw him for a loop. He wasn't sure but because he didn't understand it, he felt that I should refrain from doing it. Consequently, every time I met him, I was so conscious of even blinking that I stared at him like some deranged westerner. Word must have spread around the Ashram because from that point on, most of the girls winked at me..........little buggers.  Secondly, it would appear that traditional Indian women prefer "Body Odour". My little friend Soniya, who attached herself to me and even fought off other female admirers, commented every time I used underarm deodorant. It really bothered her........so, I'm afraid that my friend Gingers' prediction that I will one day marry a traditional Indian girl is just not going to happen. Somethings’ are sacred.......at least to me.

Anyway, back to London. The "Oyster" pass (where the hell did they get that name) is a hoot. I hop on and off tubes just for the fun of it. I sometimes have no idea where I am going but since it's unlimited travel......why not ? Why walk when I can mingle with the masses, spoon a complete stranger and watch the world go by. Saturday night in Leicester Square/Piccadilly Circus is mind blowing. Imagine "Celebration of Light" in English Bay without the fireworks on a much grander scale. I could spend all day just people watching. Mind you, the svelte English girl seems to be on the decline as McHorribles and Burger King take their toll on the general populace. The diameter of the average "English" bottom seems to be increasing at an alarming rate. I could not imagine a crowded vic-ram with nineteen wholesome lasses (sorry I meant asses). Mind you, for all the healthy Indian food that is served, older Indian women are not so far behind.....no pun intended. I could still quite happily live on Indian food for the rest of my life.........trust me.

Last night at the hostel, two Japanese guys asked me if the sound of running water, in the room, was likely to last all night. I told them that it did stop once during the night but "Yes", they would need to get used to it. The one guy seemed horrified. I thought it would be an opportune time to mention that I occasionally snored. He went "White" when I explained it to him, complete with sound effects. It's actually quite funny when it happens to a non-caucasian, still forewarned if forearmed right ? As it turned out, his buddy kept me awake all night because he snored.........bastard. I think he was just doing it to piss me off. Still, thank God I had my MP3 Player.

Sunday, April 8th, 2007

I have to admit that I love Sunday mornings in England, even in London, it's so peaceful. Coupled with the bells of St Paul's, it certainly bought back some fond childhood memories, growing up in a village with a 12th century Church at the top of the road. Another stellar breakfast, tube to Leicester Square, tea at The Pret, Sunday morning newspaper, a stroll down Regent's Street, lunch back at The Pret, back to the hostel to check out of Room 2 and move to Room 45 on the top floor. Two beds, one occupant.........sweet. T.V, coffee maker and a complete bathroom within 5 steps of my room. Don't get me wrong, I'm not becoming anti-social but a private room for two nights is HEAVEN. After doing some much needed laundry (one does need a clean pair of knickers), it was off to Covent Garden to watch the amazing street performers, a spicy veggie Cornish pasty, a pint of Guiness at my favourite pub, The Porcupine, a veggie wrap at The Pret, more internet use and then back to peace and solitude. The private rooms at the YHA St Paul's are £ 20 cheaper than YHA St Pancras and much nicer. Note to myself.............book ahead next time.

Monday, April 9th, 2007

Well if all goes to plan, I will be flying back to Toronto tomorrow morning and then, if the travel gods are with me, a connecting flight back to Vancouver. The London-Toronto flight looks doable but the Toronto to Vancouver flight will be tight. Still..........that's the fun of travelling standby, you never really know what to expect. Last night was fabulous, top floor, windows open, St Paul's chiming every god-damn hour and half hour. My head feels like I have just gone 20 rounds with a prize-fighter. Still...........if the choirboys could stand it, so can I. It really is the ultimate alarm clock. You couldn't possibly sleep through it. St Paul's is literally 100 feet away.

The Ganges Water........in principle a brilliant idea, in practice........a bit of a nightmare. It's a hell of a souvenir but maybe I went somewhat overboard. Did I really need to bring back so many cannisters ? I am now starting to worry about trying to get it back to Canada. So.....before I head to Hampton Court, where Henry VIII lived, loved and lopped off heads, I have decided to mail them all back. Of course, knowing Murphy's Law, they will either get lost in the mail or stolen by some Hindu Fundamentalist. Still......in the end, it's only water, there's plenty of it and I already know I will be going back so I will just have to deal with it.

Did I mention that the weather in London has been in the low 20's since I arrived ? Not quite 30 degrees but still very pleasant. The newspapers pointed out that London was warmer than any other city in Europe including Athens and the southern parts of Spain. At least the weather gods have been with me.......in fact.....I have been spoiled rotten.

Later in the day........

Well I spent most of the morning running around London with a bag full of "Ganges Water" and all the Post Offices were closed due to the fact that it's Easter. Damn...............now I am in trouble. I just checked the flights again and it looks hopeful so I guess, I will check one bag in and hope for the best. The connecting flight from Toronto to Vancouver is almost full but my back-up flight at 4pm still has seats. I headed back to the hostel, dropped off the bag of water and headed back to Piccadilly to catch the Bakerloo line to Waterloo and then the South West train to Hampton Court. I have to admit, I love train stations. They are just so cool. Like airports, they are full of people going places. Maybe not quite as exotic as an airport (I sat in the Delhi Airport and was fascinated to see flights leaving for Kabul, Kathmandu, Tehran and Dubai) but then again, England is full of weird and wonderful places.

I stocked up on provisions at Marks & Sparks, most notably a Ploughman's Sandwich, Red Leicester and Spring Onion Crisps, an apple and a banana (feeling a little guilty from gorging myself on all these English delights) and of course The Sun for some good old entertainment on the train. The train left on time, I found a nice quite spot and settled in for the 35 minute ride. At Clapham Junction, a mother and daughter got on and sat across from me. The daughter was obviously a devotee of McHorribles and I think the mother was too. She must have been about 15 years old, moaned the whole time, put her bare feet up on the seat next to mine and even got her mother to switch seats because she needed a place to rest her head and "Mummsy" wasn't co-operating. I would have paid dearly to put the daughter into "Boot Camp" for a few days. Still.......imagine getting that type of attitude 24/7. No wonder the Mother looked knackered. When she finally complained about her daughters feet being up on the seat and lost the battle, I knew it was a lost cause.

I have always been intrigued about Hampton Court and Henry VIII. Don't get me wrong, I'm not defending the guy but I do think he has had a bad rap over the years. Sure.......he had six wives, chopped off a couple of heads and made "Divorce" the new "In" word in the 16th Century but he can't have been all bad. The palace is fabulous, much has been changed since Henry's days but it is still impressive, set along the banks of the Thames. Apparently, it was Cardinal Wolseley's home until he fell out with Henry and Henry nicked his home. I was quite surprised that much of the decor was understated compared to other palaces I have visited and even more surprised that the last inhabitant left the palace in the mid 1990's. Apparently, many years ago, it was turned over to families of people who had served the Empire tirelessly over the years. One almost burned down the palace in 1986. Apparently, she always took a candle to bed with her and one night, it started a fire and she perished. It is also rumoured that Catherine Howard still haunts the palace. The gardens are amazing, especially at this time of the year and I did manage to find the centre of the Hampton Court Maze. Admittedly, I cheated on the way out but I still succeeded in finding the middle and I've got a photo to prove it. After covering all the grounds, I settled for a fabulous piece of Pavlova Meringue Cake, a Raisin Scone with Clotted Cream and Jam and a nice cup of English Breakfast tea. I realise that is being totally hypocritical, having chastised the average Briton for their ever expanding bottoms but hey...........for almost two weeks, I have deprived my body of heavenly treats so I think I can cut myself a little slack.

Now....I'm off to Tesco, pick up a salad for dinner (feeling guilty again), some snacks for the airport (in case I get stranded) and something for breakfast since I will be missing out on my free breakfast at the hostel.

The next day or so should be fun..............I have no idea what will happen but that's all part of the fun.

Ciao