Goa Day 11: videoblog 2

http://youtu.be/(null)

New link

http://youtu.be/uCNKVLQ4ZAA

Humpi Day 13: Historical Sightseeing

Waking up in Hampi to a bunch of Tuktuk drivers jumping through the window of the bus to take your trip!! Arriving to beautiful Hampi (Top 1 in Lonely Planet in this year edition, before the Taj Mahal!!!). Walking around its ruins (it reminds me of Karnak, Egypt) all deserted!!! Staying in the other side of the river (as recommended) taking the little shuttle boat and walking through this field into a bed at the roof (only a mattress and a mosquito net for 100 ruppies (1.2€)), good night of watching stars!! On the way boat trip meating a cute couple who asked for a picture and an elephant taking its morning bath!!!!

Despertar-se a Hampi amb un grapat de taxistes de Tuktuk saltant per les finestres dedicat l'autobus per aconseguir un viatge!!! Arribar a la preciosa Hampi (Top 1 a la Lonely Planet d'aquest any, abans que el Taj Mahal!!). Caminar per les runes (em recorda a Karnak, Egipte) tot desert!! Allotjar-se al 'altre costat del riu (com recomanat) agafant el mini vaixell i caminant a traves de uns camps fins arribar a un llit a una teulada (només un matalàs i una mosquitera per 100 rupies (1.2€)), bona nit per veure estrelles!!! En el camí amb el vaixell trobar una parella que et demana una foto i un elefant fent els seu bany matutí!!

Goa Day 12: Last Sunset in Palolem

Last day in Palolem!! It's been nice to chill out in a beach for a few days!!! Not doing much more than reading Alice Munro, eating really good food, watching movies on the beach (Secret Life of Walter Mitty and Wolf of Wall Street), and watching beautiful sunsets!!! Last day with Bhavna and Catherine!! Tonight train to Hampi!!! Back to real India!!!

Últim dia a Palolem!!! Ha estat molt be relaxar-se uns dies a la platja!! No he fet massa cosa mes que llegir Alice Munro, menjar molt bon menjar, mirar pelis a la fresca (La vida secreta de Walter Mitty i El lobo de Wall Street), i mirar postes des sol precioses!! Últim dia amb la Bhavna i la Catherine!!! Aquesta nit tren cap a Hampi!! De nou cap a la Índia de veritat!!!

Goa Day 9: Dolphins

http://youtu.be/zqy9wBamGFw

Waking early in t'he morning for some dolphin sightseeing!!!! Right inside the bay!!!

Ens llevem ben d'hora ben d'hora per anar a veure dolphins!!! Dins la mateixa bahia!!!

Goa Day 7: Palolem

Arrival in Palolem!! So after 2 days and 2 crazy nights in Anjuna, next stop in Goa is Palolem (Goa is the name of the province). Palolem so far looks like much more chilled out!! Anjuna was great for party and listening to trance, but once you're done with it, there is not much to do!! Anjuna reminded me a lot of like Lloret de Mar or Salou!! Palolem is still touristy probably, but more like Calella de Palafrugell!! You can go see the dolphins in the sea, so that looks like it can be some fun!! So my room is this little cottage first line of the sea (first picture is from the terrace where I'm writing from right now!!). I share the room with David (Scottish guy I've been traveling with since we met the first day in Mumbai), and Roy, this half Indian half Australian guy that we met in Anjuna (the guys sitting on the table)!! But a great view for 9€!!!! Been meeting really nice people along the way, in the hostel in Anjuna, in Mumbai, and you keep running into them!! Today we said goodbye to Rafa, a Napolitano guy we met in Mumbai, who is going back tomorrow!! It was weird to say goodbye, but I guess it's going to be the dynamic of the trip, meeting and farewelling people!!!

Arribada a Palolem!! Després de 2 dies i 2 nits de bojeria a Anjuna, propera parada a Goa es Palolem (Goa es el nom de la província). Palolem fins ara sembla molt mes relaxat!! Anjuna està molt be per sortir de festa i escoltar música Trance, pero un cop entén s prou no hi ha massa mes cosa a fer!! Anjuna m'ha recordat molt a Lloret de Mar i Salou!! Palolem segueix sent turístic segurament, pero mes com Calella de Palafrugell!! Pots anar a veure dolphins al mar, sembla bastant divertit!! La meva habitació es aquesta petita cabana davant del mar (la primera fotografia es de la terrassa desde la que estic escrivint ara mateix!!). Comparteixo la habiatació amb en David (escocès amb qui he estat viatjant des de que ens vam conèixer la primera nit a Mumbai), i en Roy, mitj indi mitj australià que hem conegut a Anjuna (son els nois sentats a la taula)!! Pero una gran vista per 9€!! He conegut gents molt maca en aquests dies, a Anjuna, a Mumbai, i te'ls contínues trobant pel camí!! Avui hem d'esperit a en Rafa, un napolità que vam conèixer a Mumbai, que torna demà!! Ha sigut estrany despedir-lo, però imagino que serà la dinàmica del viatge, coneixent i despedint a gent!!

Mumbai Day 5: Reflections

http://youtu.be/3MV5grEhs90

Some thoughts of these first days. It's interesting to see how people travel around India. You see many people who's not from here on tourism, but everyone has different experiences (and I'm talking about Caucasian people, there is a lot of intern tourism and arabic which you don't recognize). I'm talking about the way in which people travel, you can see people who "personally" goes to far away, traveling dressed like a born Buddhist with painted henna hands and dot on forehead, praying around everywhere and walking as if they were floating; the one that only wants to see monuments and cross places on their personal bucket list (I tend to fall into this category) and that freaks out when things don't go according to plans; the one who only travels in big hotels and goes to expensive restaurants and has no interest at all in the culture or the people of the country (obvious if you consider the only people they encounter are beggars waiting at the exit of the places they attend), but they are then missing an important part of the trip, which is to see how people actually live. When you see how people actually live, you see that bottom line there is not that much of a difference between all of us, yes with color skin an economical status, but everyone is basically trying to earn there livings as best they can at the end of the day. I think what Mumbai has taught me (how Marcel told me it's an aggressive city, as everyone is in a hurry and does there own thing and when you notice someone is trying to scam you) is especially to learn to appreciate to learn how a city works. Mumbai has some nice monuments and things worth seeing if you're around, but not necessarily obligatory to take such a long flight to see them, but at the end it's a matter of breathe in the city (and it's pollution), see people spitting in the street, pushing into full trains, asking to take pictures of you, trying to skip the line, eating in the streets, it's poverty, all together is what impresses of Mumbai. I understand when Marcel was saying as this aggressiveness can get on your nerves (which it has). But at the end of the day, aren't all big cities aggressive in their own way? If we ask a Nordic person their opinion about walking around las Ramblas and Raval, won't he tell us it was a nightmare trying to prevent pickpocketers? If you stay in the downtown area of Mumbai you can get this image (as if you never leave las Ramblas in Barcelona). With my trip up north of Mumbai I discovered people worried for if I was lost, and letting me take a seatin the train so that I would not be bothered by so many people (as if it was Mumbai the only train fully packed in rush hour). 

Reflexions dels primers dies. Es interessant veure com cadascú viatge cap a la índia. Veus molta gent que no es d'aqui, de turisme, però cadascú te experiències diferents (i parlo de caucàsics, hi ha molt turisme intern i aràbic que no distingueixes). Em refereixo a la manera de viatjar de la gent, hi ha des del que "personalment" es passa de indi, viatge com un budista nat pel carrer amb les mans pintades de henna i el punt al front, resant per tot arreu i cominant com si levités; el que només vol veure monuments i tatxar llocs i coses per veure de la seva llista personal (reconec que tinc tendència cap a aquest tipus de turisme) i que s'estressa quan les coses no van com ell esperaria; al que va de grans hotels i grans restaurants i no vol saber res de la cultura ni la gent del país mateix, vol estar com a casa seva i moltes vegades viatge espantat de la gent local (normal doncs la majoria de la gent que es troba a la portà dels llocs demanen diners), però llavors es perden una part molt important del viatge que es veure com viu realment la gent. Quan veus com viu la gent veus que all final no hi ha tanta diferencia entre nosaltres, si color de la pell i nivell econòmic llogicament, pero tothom s'intenta guanya la vida com millor pot al final del dia. Crec que el que m'ha ensenyat Mumbai (com be va dir el Marcel es una ciutat molt agressiva, doncs tothom va amb pressa i a la seva i a la que et descuides ja t'estan tornant a intentar prendre el pèl) es pressisament a apreciar aquesta part de veure com funciona una ciutat. Mumbai té coses maques i algun monument interessant per veure si s'està aquí, pero no com realment imprescindible per a fer un vol tant llarg expressament, però al final es qüestió de respirar la ciutat (i la seva polució), veure a la gent escopir pel carrer, apretar-se als trens, demanar-te fotos, intentar col.lar-se a la cua, menjar pel carrer, la seva pobresa,  tot en conjunt es el que impressiona realment de Mumbai. Entenc el que deia el Marcel doncs aquesta agressivitat et pot posar de molt mal humor (que me n'ha posat). Però al final, no tots gran ciutats agressiva a la seva manera? Si li preguntem a un nòrdic per la seva opinió de passejar per la rambla i Raval no ens dirà que una pesadilla intentant evitar els carteristes? Si et quedes al centre de Mumbai pots quedar-te amb aquesta imatge (com si no surts de la rambla a Barcelona). Amb la meva excursió al nord de Mumbai vaig descobrir gent preocupada per mi per si estava perduda, i cedint-me el lloc al metro perquè no m'agobies amb tanta gent (com si fos el de Mumbai l'unic tren que va ple n hora punta).

Goa Day 5: Arrival

http://youtu.be/6b6eXjj06jo

Traveling on the train from Mumbai to Goa was an experience on its own!!! A lot of moving, people walking around all night, and the only freak that chained his luggage. Today I met a women backpacking who was 75 years old, sleeping in the bed below mine in the train!!!

Viatjar en tren de Mumbai a Goa, ha sigut una experiència en si mateix!! Entre el moviment del tren, gent passejant tota la nit, i ser l'unic freakie que ha encadenat la maleta (gràcies Marc). Avui he conegut una dona motxilera de 75 anys dormint al llit de sota meu al tren!! Video dedicat al Dani, et vein punxant aqui!!!

Mumbai Day 4: Mahalaxmi Dhobi Ghat, Global Pagoda

We start with the day me trying to become an extra in a Bollywood movie. They recruit many foreigners  in Colaba area (downtown Mumbai), and a girl from the hostel got recruited but couldn't go. She told me the meeting point and I appeared spontaneously to see if they needed anyone else!! Finally they had one too many guys, so I couldn't go but I got his card and a might opportunity for tomorrow, which don't think it'll happen. However the day was great, first day actually alone!!!!! It's been good to be traveling around the first days with people so I felt much more comfortable today to travel alone. First I went to Mahalaxmi Dhobi Ghat, or the laundromat in Mumbai. Families live there but only the men clean the clothes, all of hospital and hotel laundry is done there!! Second trip to Global Pagoda, north of Mumbai, crossed it like a champ in the train at busy hour, got a cool autorickshaw and a ferry. I was astonished to find absolutely none there, it was being rebuilt, but still breathtaking!! Finally tonight after dinner at Leopolds and a movie in Eros Cinema (Bollywood without subtitles!!!). (Final pintures SCT station, known for the final dance scene in "Slumdog Millionaire" and where tomorrow I'll be getting my train to Goa!!)

Comencem el dia amb mi intentant colar-me com a extra en una peli de Bollywood. Agafen a various touristes per la zona de Colaba (el centre de Mumbai), i a una noia de l'alberg li havien demanat però no hi podia anar. Em va dir el lloc det robada i espontàniament he aparegut a veure si els feia falta algú mes!! Finalment tenien un noi de mes i he hagut de fer-me enrera però m'ha donat la seva targeta i la oportunitat de poder anar-hi demà, tot i que no crec q passi!! De totes maneres el dia ha estat molt guay, el primer dia sol de veritat!!! Ha estat genial estar viatjant aquests primers dies amb gent així me sentit molt mes segur de viatjar sol. Primer a Mahalaxmi Dhobi Ghat, o la Tintoreria de Mumbai (atentes Anna i tieta Margarita). Les famílies hi viuen però son els homes els que renten la roba, tots els hospitals i hotels porten la bugada allà!! Després excursió fins la Global Pagoda al nord de Mumbai, creuant com un campió en el tren a hora punta, agafat un mototaxi i finalment un ferri. M'ha quedat impressionat en veure que no hi havia ningú allà, estava sent remodelat, però tot i així impressionant!! Finalment sopar a Leopolds i peli a Eros Cinema (Bollywood sense subtítols!!!). (Foto final de l'estació SCT, coneguda per on es va rodar l'últim ball de "Slumdog Millionaire" i on demà agafaré el tren cap a Goa!!)

Mumbai Day 3: Elephanta Island

Today after changing hostel (to the Indian Guest House as Shantaram), tour around elephanta island. Nice island an hour away with some nice caves and statues and some funny monkeys who stole half a coke from me!!! At night walk to the mosque "Haji Ali Dargah", not that impressive but nice walk towards it as it's in the middle of an island (Inshallahing for you Imane Tounsi!!)

Avui després de canviar d'alberg (a l'Indian Guest House com el Shantaram), tour per la illa d'elefanta. Illa maca a 1 hora amb coves maques i estàtues i uns micos molt simpàtic que m'han robat mitja cocacola!!! Per la nit caminant fins la mesquita "Haji Ali Dargah", no tant impressionant però bonica excursió fins allà ja que està en mig d'urna illa.