Happy New Years - 2 Weeks To Go!

Happy 2011 everyone!

All the best for the year to come, replete with joy, love and prosperity. I for one am quite happy to see 2010 go on it's merry way, and more than exhilarated by the mysteries and possibilities for 2011. If the last few weeks are any indication for what the new year has in store for me, I am stoked to see what else will follow! Suffice it say, I am very much in love with life right about now.

In other news, I have but two weeks to go until I am in India! This is my last week at work and in Quebec for three months, which is kinda saddening, as it is exciting.To be fair, I am just as excited for the return home as I am for the trip itself. There's always a kind of letdown when you come back from a trip of any extended nature. Call it reverse culture shock, call it what you will. For me, it will mean a new home to decorate, a new neighborhood to explore and new friends I've yet to meet. I will be so busy when I come home, that I won't have time to melt down. And that's seriously exciting, having all of those cool things to look forward to doing ~ it totally takes the edge off! The only caveat to the whole business is finding a place to live in that has a kitchen that meets my requirements! LoL!

So I went this morning to MEC and bought pretty much the last of the gear I need for now. The rest, as Ive said many times over, I can buy cheaper in India. Todays list was small - a headlamp, a bear bell (actually for Tigers and Jaguars in my case) and other small items. What's missing that I need? A watch, some immodium (I can buy that there) and little else. I'm pretty much done and ready to go, right now..

But my heart is heavy.

The only consolation I can offer myself is a direct quote from Paolo Coelho's excellent book, The Alchemist:

“My heart is afraid that it will have to suffer,” the boy told the alchemist one night as they looked up at the moonless sky, “It doesn’t want me to go on.”

“That makes sense. Naturally it’s afraid that, in pursuing your dream, you might lose everything you’ve won. Tell your heart that the fear of suffering is worse than the suffering itself. And that no heart has ever suffered when it goes in search of its dreams.”

And nothing I could ever say to myself would be as poignant as that. I can totally see myself as Santiago right now. So, I will follow my dreams, and leave the rest to fate. If things are meant to happen, I have to trust in life to make it so - the music is already playing and all that's left to do is to get carried away in the dance. And oh what a dance it has been so far...

Chanson du Jour

Imogen Heap - Hide and Seek (Extended Jethro East & Lee Davey Remix)

The Relativity of Time

Time is a funny thing to measure. Sure, we have clocks and other means at our disposal to quantitatively measure the passage of time, but our individual perceptions of it are vast. And within the confines of those differences, there is the paradox of how we perceive time in the micro and macro scale.

For example, things are very slow at work at the moment. I feel the passage of time drags on indefinately. But at the same time, no matter how slow it may seem in the moment, each second is bringing me closer to my departure from Quebec, Toronto and Canada as a whole. Even though each hour seems to take forever, and I feel as though time is infinite, I know at the same time that I am running out of time - there's not enough left. There are things I really want to do before leaving, and I worry that I won't have enough time to do them.

Yeah, so time... very relative, very quantum and definately something to give one a headache when pondered on for far too long. But I can't help it - I'm quickly loosing what available time I have left.

Week One In India

Sitting here this morning adding up the costs for my first eight days in India, and thought I'd share them with you all.

Hotel - $21 (for three nights in Delhi)
Food  - $12 (for three days in Delhi)
Train - $3 (to go to Haridwar)
Bus - $0.50 (to go to Rishikesh)
Hotel - $18 ( for four nights in Rishikesh)
Food - $16 (for four days in Rishikesh)
Bus - $.050 (to go back to Haridwar)

Grand Total: $71 (approximate)

And since I was allocating myself $105 per week, I've come in way under budget! Almost a $35 savings. Of course, one of the days calculated above is in the second week too, so there is that to consider. From Haridwar, the bus only runs overnight (12 hours) to get to Agra, so I save a night of hotels there, and the cost is a mere $5.50 - not bad!!! The savings from week one will be good though, as Agra is quite costly (in backpacker terms). The Taj Mahal itself is $20 to get in... but oh so worth every red cent!

Two weeks To Go

I am a mere 14 days away from beginning the adventure! 90% of the things I need to do to be ready for departure are done. I have all of my shots and medications and pretty much everything I'll need to survive on the road. I still have to wait to start my Dukoral treatments until next week, but it's in the fridge and I don't need the doctor for that. I also need to go to the pharmacy and get my Zithromax (antibiotic pills). There's still a few things I'd like to purchase before going to Delhi, but that will have to wait until next week (what with being Christmas and all).

I've got my first week in India all booked, so that's kind of exciting! I've got my initial hotel booked for three days at Kuldeep Guest House in Pahar Ganj in Delhi until the 18th. From there, I have my train booked to take me to Haridwar, where I'll transfer to a bus heading to Rishikesh for 5 days. In Rishikesh, I'll be staying at the OGS Tourist House (pictures below), which is a few kilometers outside town, but that's perfect as it will be peaceful. Not to mention the fact that it's got free WiFi, Satellite TV, hot water showers and american style toilets, all for the low low price of $4.48 (Cdn) per night!

 OGS Tourist House - view from the river

OGS Tourist House - The Ganges from the Hotel

The plan after Rishikesh is to head back to Haridwar for a day to see some sights, including the Ghats and a gigantic statue of Shiva before heading south for Agra and the Taj Mahal! The plan is to spend 2 days in Agra and then head west into Rajasthan for 18-20 days. After that, the idea is to head to Mumbai, but we'll see... the weather may change all of that, being cold in the desert and all. I may want to rethink things and head down into Goa and Kerala first and them come back up to Rajasthan.

So, its Christmas Eve Day, and I don't feel the season at all...but that's okay, you know? I'm going to be on the trip of a lifetime in a mere 15 days!

Three weeks!

Wow! The time passes fast when you are occupied. Every day that passes brings me a day closer to my destination, and I am both thrilled and terrified. But not in a bad way, of course! I'm imagining all of the little cultural shocks I'll go through before I even get there. Maybe its a good thing though, as it might soften the blow somewhat.

The one thing that isn't easy is knowing that I will be leaving everyone behind for three months. Its not that its such a terribly long time, but you've all become my friends and my family. I've grown very accustomed to our rituals and knowing they won't happen for a period of time is saddening somewhat. I will think of you all constantly while away. Yes, you will be missed...

On the upside, I'm getting pumped for all of the wonderous things I will be seeing, both in a good sense and a negative sense. To be fair, I think I am most excited to see those things we just would never see here in Canada, like cows walking into a shop and laying down on the floor. Or elephants blocking traffic on the highway. Or even, heaven forbid, a human body floating in the Ganges.

Im starting to consider the liklihood of acquiring a cell phone in India too... just to make booking hostels easier, and also should I meet people on the road, so we can arrange meetings for traveling together. Gonna go do that research this morning...

One Month To Go

Another typical Canadian winter morning here in Quebec. The wind is blowing the snow everywhere, so it makes for the sort of day where you just don't want to even think about going outside. Which is fine, I've got plenty of reading to do anyways in preparation for some destinations that I've been neglecting to research. I've been focusing mainly on Delhi so that I'm well prepared for my first few days.

The last couple of days I've been trying to do some research on the other big cities I'll be visiting like Mumbai, Chennai and Kolkata. It's difficult to find good information though that is truly handy. What I have found, and its to be expected, is that the bigger cities are just out to gouge money from tourists, and they seldom provide those things they advertise. Really starting to reconsider my plans for these places. Im not interested in being fleeced at every turn, nor am I really all that eager to be robbed, which seems to be a big problem. No matter though, I do still want to see these places, so I will be going. The question of how long I stay at each remains in doubt. Mumbai is definately going to take at least 2 days, but Chenna and Kolkata? I don't know - there isn't much in either place that attracts me. To be honest, they're in itinerary because they are both large commercial centers with great transportation options for getting to other places.

One month to go, well 33 days to be exact. I leave Quebec City in exactly 28 days for a 4 day stint with the family and then, whoosh! Off I go... the waiting is the hardest part. I'm ready now, to get there and start the adventure, but also to be away from here. It feels like I'm in a holding pattern and the days are just so long...

A song for the road

Been listening to Bob Dylan's Tomorrow Is A Long Time and just had to share the lyrics, as they are powerful.

If today was not an endless highway,
If tonight was not a crooked trail,
If tomorrow wasn’t such a long time,
Then lonesome would mean nothing to you at all.
Yes, and only if my own true love was waitin’,
Yes, and if I could hear her heart a-softly poundin’,
Only if she was lyin’ by me,
Then I’d lie in my bed once again.

I can’t see my reflection in the waters,
I can’t speak the sounds that show no pain,
I can’t hear the echo of my footsteps,
Or can’t remember the sound of my own name.
Yes, and only if my own true love was waitin’,
Yes, and if I could hear her heart a-softly poundin’,
Only if she was lyin’ by me,
Then I’d lie in my bed once again.

There’s beauty in the silver, singin’ river,
There’s beauty in the sunrise in the sky,
But none of these and nothing else can touch the beauty
That I remember in my true love’s eyes.
Yes, and only if my own true love was waitin’,
Yes, and if I could hear her heart a-softly poundin’,
Only if she was lyin’ by me,
Then I’d lie in my bed once again.

35 days now!

Only 35 days to go before I leave the drama that has become my life behind. Only 35 days until I start down the path to reconnect with the person I once knew, the person I miss being. I know he's out there, somewhere, waiting to be found. And when next we meet, we'll have to have a long conversation, my old friend, about all of the places we've been, all of the things we've seen and learned an suffered. And in the end, we will have to see if there is still a chance for us to meet somewhere in the middle. Truth be told, I trust in life to bring us together at long last. I trust in life to connect what has been severed. I trust in you to see that we are not so different that we must part ways forever. I trust in myself to be completely honest with you, and in that honesty, extend the hand that will reunite us in the common pursuit of our life.

Nothing else matters in this endeavour. You are the priority - I am the priority. We are the goal.

Almost done now!

Today I booked the ticket to take me from Quebec to Toronto so that I can visit my family for a few days before leaving for India. And since I now have a credit card, I booked online and saved almost $100! Before, a round trip ticket Quebec to Toronto was roughly $270. Today I bought one way from Montreal to Toronto and it was less than $30 after taxes. All I need to do now is book an Allo Stop ride from Quebec to Montreal, which is only $19 one way, and I'll be set.

I will worry about the return trip when I get back. No point booking that now, as I'm not sure when I will come back here. I may want to visit my family for a few days and rest before getting on another bus! After all the running around I'll be doing in India, a good night's sleep or two in the comfort of a good bed will be welcome before tackling another night in a bus. :)

This is great! I now have another $100 to re-calculate into my budget! That's almost as much as I'd need to stay for 10 days in Rajasthan? Awesome...

Hostel Research

Been researching hostels in my destination cities this morning to get a feel for amenities and prices. From what I am seeing, there is a distinct probability that I will be cutting a night or two from the bigger cities, which in the end is fine with me. I've been in big cities all my life and they are all pretty much the same with some exceptions. Mumbai will definately be losing a night, unless I can find something way cheaper once there than I am seeing online. I'm sure I might be able to find some tips from other travellers on the road, so we'll see. I'm not holding my breath.

Rajasthan so far seems to be the cheapest place to go. I can find half decent hostels there for $2-5 Canadian a night. I don't need all the amenities anyways. I'm not going to India to be pampered. Although it would be nice to spend a night in the Lake Hotel in Udaipur ($700 US), I don'tthink that will be happening anytime soon.

The cost of travelling in Rajasthan has me very excited for that leg of my trip. The savings I can have here will offset the other places I will go that will dip into the funds a little heavier. Then again, the costings I am seeing online are just that, online. These vendors probably won't show all the budget palaces, because they cannot make much of a commission on booking them.

I guess the best bet is to simply wait and see how things are once I get to each location. Stressing over it now seems kind of pointless I know, but I think it's best to have some idea of what to expect before arriving in each city or village. Luckily, my Lonely Planet book has lots of budget places that simply don't show up in the online vendor lists. But then, maybe they don't exist anymore either...

Whatever the case may be, I am having fun, albiet stressful fun, doing these searches. Invariably, each search leads me to something cheaper or some hint of a sight to see that I hadn't considered before.

And so the searches continue...

40 days and counting...

Today marks 40 days until departure. I am really starting to feel the time lessening now. Soon it will be a month to go and then two weeks and then two days, etc... you always feel the passage of time keenly when waiting for something. This trip will be marking a new phase of my life and I look forward to it eagerly with the abated breath a child feels on Christmas Eve.

Just to pump myself up a little bit, I want to post a few photos of things I will be seeing very shortly with my own two eyes. Above is the blue city of Joghpur, a recent addition to my itineraryy. Located in the center of all of my destinations in Rajasthan, it was a no-brainer to add it into the mix, especially after seeing this picture. Another place I am eager to see is Gadi Sagar in Jaisalmer, also in Rajasthan.

And then there is Hampi, located in Karnataka state. So what if I won't be going to the pyramids in Tulum and Chitzen Itza this year. I'll be seeing temples that look like pyramids and they will be much older.

That's enough photos for now. All of the research and photos I've been looking at are starting to dull the excitement of seeing them for myself. This is the one downfall to being so over-prepared for this trip. I've gotten to a point where I'm starting to feel like I've already been there. I don't want to erase the magic of the trip and it's discoveries.

But then, there is only 40 days to go... how much damage can I do to my excitement level in that short amount of time???

Itinerary - Updated

Looked at the itinerary I'd posted near the beginning of November and realized it's way out of date. That was for the original 40 day trip. I'm now going for 82 days, and the list of places has grown quite a bit. Heres the new list with time spent (estimate) at each place.

Delhi - 3 days
Rishikesh - 3 days
Haridwar - 2 days
Agra - 2 days
Jaipur - 3 days
Pushkar - 2 days
Jaisalmer - 4 days
Bikaner - 2 days
Jodhpur - 2 days
Udaipur - 3 days
Mumbia - 3 days
Panaji - 4 days
Hampi - 2 days
Bangalore - 2 days
Ernakulam - 2 days
Kottayam - 3 days
Trivandrum - 3 days
Chennai - 2 days
Kolkata - 2 days
Darjeeling - 3 days
Varanasi - 5 days
Khajuraho - 2 days
Orccha - 1 day
Delhi - 1 day
Amritsar - 2 days
Dharamshala - 2 days
Delhi - 3 days

Now, that doesn't account for all of my available days at all. That accounts for 65 days out of the 78 I will actually be in India, so it leaves me some leeway to extend visits at certain places. All I know is that I need to be in Delhi for March 20th for Holi. After that I can head out for Amritsar. Maybe I'll tack a few extra days on in Goa or Kerala for some beach laziness. And the buffer of unaccounted days is good for those times when I can't travel at night. I think I have just enough time to do everything I want to do.

I do know that I will be one tired guy when I come home. And one very well in shape guy too.

Hotel Booked

Got tired of all the decisions to make regarding a hotel to stay in for my first few nights in Delhi. Settled on one called Kuldeep Guest House. The rooms like alright for what you pay, a whopping $6.72 CDN a night. Its probably not the best and likely not the worst that Pahar Ganj has to offer. And anyways, it's just a place to rest my head as I wrap my brain around the madness that is India.

There's really nothing left to do now except get there. I have a few small items to get still before going, and the second round of shots on the 21st. Aside from that, its a waiting game now - 43 days to go!!!