söndag 8 februari 2015

India 18/1 - 6/2 2015

I started my India trip with a cold beer at terminal 5 in Arlanda (Stockholm), thereafter I went to my flight that take me to Doha in Qatar.



17/1

The airport in Doha was a boring place, maybe because I was tired? After a couple of hours waiting was it finally time to fly to Mumbai in India ;)




18/1

The arrival at the airport went good just a little wait by the passport/visa counter, after that I went to pick up my backpack and then went to the prepaid taxi counter there I book a taxi to Santa Cruz in Mumbai.

The taxi driver had a little problem finding my hotel, but after he asked a couple of guys I finally was there :)

There was a little problem to get the room because I booked it from the 18/1 to 19/1 and the check-in time was 12 am and I was there around 03 am. I solved the problem by pay for one half day more.

It was hard sleeping that night but finally I did. I woke up around 9 am in the morning and went out for a walk, not much to do in the closest area. I found a place to eat breakfast just across the street from my hotel

After breakfast I walk back to the hotel to meet a friend of Simon, Cirano. He is a really cool guy from Brazil. We went out for a walk and he had some lunch. After that we walk back to the hotel and just relaxed. He gave me his sleeping bag because he had no need for it when he go back to Brazil and I give him my room because it was already paid to the next day and I had only a few hours left in Mumbai.

In the afternoon it was time for me to take the sleeper bus to Hospet, it was a bumpy ride for 15 hours, but I got a few hours sleep ;)


19/1

In Hospet I took a rickshaw to the boat that should take me across the river in Hampi, the boat was crowded but it was ok because it only took like 3 minutes.



Finally I had arrived in Hampi and finally I got to meet my friend Simon again, last we met was when I left him at Arlanda the 2nd of November.

We started the day with a long breakfast at Funky Monkey it was really nice to just sit there and talk and relax. After the breakfast we went to see what room we would have, we finally decided to take a hut.



After check in we went to meet Simons friends from Bangalore, they where just about to leave but because we came they decided to stay one more night :)  We took a ride on the back of theirs bikes, it was fun. Then we went climbing with them. After that we went for a dip in the sea, it was cold but nice after a couple of hours in the sun. Then it was time for dinner at their guest house and then we went to see the sunset at the monkey temple, it is 570 steps to come up there.





20/1

We had a breakfast at our guest house and went to say goodbye to the guys from Bangalore.
After that we went to rent a scooter because Simon need to go and see his friend at the White Elephant. He was not there so we just had a lunch and went back to our guest house. This night they had a movienight (like every night).

21/1

We woke up early this morning and had a breakfast. Then we rented a scooter and took of to the White Elephant again, on the way we stopped a few time so I can take som nice pictures with my camera. When we got to the White Elephant was Simons friend there, we play some chess and had some lunch. On the way back to our guest house we stopped by the monkey temple to see the sunset.


















22/1

This day we went to the other side with the boat and just walk around so I could take pictures of a few temple. After that we just took the boat back and went to our guest house.















23/1

We rented a scooter and drive to the lake with Floyd, a guy from England, at the lake we took a dip in the sea and then just relaxed in the sun. After the lake we took off for some lunch in a town nearby, it was really good. On the way back me and Simon stopped by the White Elephant and together with Simons friend and a girl named Anna we went to see the sunset by a lake nearby. Then we took a ride back to our guest house.






24/1 - 27/1

My stomach got really bad so I could not do anything so I just relaxed at the restaurant in our guest house and went several time to the toilet :( at least we met some really good people, Bonsai and Briony from Australia and Jelle and Veronique from Belgium and Julie from England, it made the time go faster. I also started my antibiotics cure fore my stomach, thanks Floyd for the help.

28/1

Time to left Hampi, we checked out from our guest house and just hang around in the restaurant the whole day because the train was at 9 pm from Hospet. Briony, Simon and I took the boat to the other side around 5 pm and then a rickshaw to Hospet train station and bought train tickets to Bangalore. The train was late as usual, when the train arrived we went out looking for the collector because we did not have a place to sleep in the train, after some walking in the train we found him and we got three beds to sleep in for some extra charge.



29/1

We arrived to Bangalore in the morning around 6 am and went to meet Simons friend, Marthe from Holland. After that we said goodbye to Briony because she had a fligth to catch. Then we took a rickshaw to Simons friends that we met the first day in Hampi. It was really nice to see Rishabh, Boppi and Sachin again. We hang out at theres place for the the day and order some pizza, finally some real food for my stomach :) later that night Rishabh, Simon, Marthe and me went for some beer at a place called ABC, we had some beer and play some fussball, it was really fun.






30/1

On the day we just chilled out at the apartment and on the evening we went out the eat and drink at a place called Toit, it was nice.






31/1

On the day we just chilled out at the apartment and on the evening we all went out for a big party on a rooftop in a hotel in Bangalore, it was one of my best time for long. Totally scene set!!!
On the way back we stopped for some food at a restaurant.






1/2

We wake up early this morning because Simon and Marthe had to leave Bangalore for Hampi, I stayed the whole day because my flight to Delhi was in the evening. I took a cab to the airport in Bangalore and had some food while I waited for my flight. I arrived in Delhi just before midnight.

2/2
I took a prepaid cab to the hotel I had booked, when I arrived to hotel was full, but the owner got me a room in a hotel just across the street for one night. In the morning I left the hotel and walk back to the place I had booked. The room was not the cleanest but it works. After that i just went out walking to explore Delhi. I also booked a trip to Agra to see the Taj Mahal and Agra Fort.

3/2

I woke up at 5.30 am because my trip to Agra started 6 am, it was a drive for 3,5 hours to Agra and it was really nice to see both Taj Mahal and Agra Fort. I was back in Delhi 5.30 pm and went out to get some food.



































4/2

This day I went out to do all my shopping and got a lot of help from Irrfan at Invicta travels and took some nice pictures of Delhi also. I walked around the whole day, it was nice.
























5/2

Time to check out from my hotel. I took a rickshaw to Connaught Place and went to Starbucks for som breakfast. After that I took another rickshaw back to the Main Bazaar for the last shopping round. Luckily I could left my backpack at Invicta travel so my shopping round went easier. After that I took a rickshaw to New Delhi subway station and jump on the train to the airport, it was a really nice subway ride.




When arrived at the airport was it 12 hours left for my flight so I had to sit down and wait, it was boring but somehow even ok.

6/2

Finally I could check in my luggage and walk trough the passport and security check. Then I went to buy some stuff in the tax free shop and after that I had some dinner at McDonalds. After the dinner I went to the airport hotel for a massage it was really nice. Then it was boarding time so i went to the gate.
The plane ride was ok, we got some breakfast and I got one or two hours sleep :)
After 3,5 hours it was time to land in Doha to change the plane. On the plane I got my second breakfast and after that i finally got some sleep for maybe two hours.

The plane landed in Stockholm ten minutes early. The passport check took a long time, like 15 minutes and then I went to pick up my backpack. My uncle and his partner waited for me at the arrival hall and we took a drive to their home. We had some coffee and some small talk about my trip. After that I took my car and went home on my way home I made a quick stop at my mothers place just to say hello.

Thanks India and all my new and old friends for a really great time, hopefully we see each other again really soon.