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Clarabella and Dan's Travel Blog

a travel blog by Clarabella and Daniel


This is it - we're off in Jan 09. Keep up....

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We're off.....

Glasgow, United Kingdom


it seems like this day would never come and finally its arrived. Leaving Glasgow on a cold January day - going to miss everyone loads, but we promise to keep in touch. xx

permalink written by  Clarabella and Daniel on January 6, 2009 from Glasgow, United Kingdom
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Mumbai - scary taxi journey

Mumbai, India


Sorry its taken so long to get the blog up and running. Don't worry we haven't fogotten everyone and everything back home - just work. We've just been relaxing in Goa by the sea for the last three weeks and finding it difficult to want to leave as its so nice here, the food is so tasty and the weather is a steady 30-34c everyday and not a hint of rain.

We arrived in Mumbai on 7th Jan and spent the first three days there. Mumbai is so busy and a bit of a shock to the senses when you first arrive, but we settled in quite well. The taxi journey from the airport is the scariest experience I have had in my life, but after a while you get used to the traffic and the way of the roads and crossing them - basically a free for all. Everyone beeps their horns and the 3 lane road at the lights consists of 2 lorries, 5 motorbikes and 4 cars all squashed in.

Lots of people tryin to flog you rubbish constantly, but they're quite nice with it, not threatening at all. Imagine a street with 5000 of those Goranga guys selling tshirts with stuff like "Hari Potter" and reversible belts with Nike on one side and Polo sport on the other and you get an idea of what its like. There are so many people in Mumbai and there is poverty everywhere you look.

We stayed in Colaba in a place called Suba Palace which was a nice hotel near the Taj Mahal Palace and Tower hotel with great views over the city and really nice breakfast - curry, chicken and chips for breakfast. I stuck with the Masala Omlette most days. A bit expensive for our backpacker budget but well worth it.

The first night we treated ourselves to a really nice meal in a place called Indigo, Dan
had lobster bisque with crab tortellini, followed by tiger prawns with a water cress and cavier salad (I'm not joking). After dinner we sat in the bar and had a few G&Ts. Its been a difficult start but we're starting to aclimatise to the traveller's life.

We visited the Gateway of India on our way to Elephanta Island which is 1 hrs ferry ride and very peaceful after the chaos at the Gateway, although Dan tells me that he remembers it being much busier, for me it was busy enough. Elephanta Island has caves with Hindu carvings in the rocks, some of them are so huge, we got a veg Thali lunch here for 50 rupees (70p). There are loads of monkeys on the Island and they are so cheeky, we were walking past one of them and it tried to steal my water from my bag, but Dan ran at it and it backed off, when we walked past it on the way back it hid its head behind its girlfriend. At night we were so tired we fell asleep and woke up at 11pm - thinking there would be nopwhere to get food we headed out and Cafe Leopold was still open. They have an armed guard after the terror attack and you can still see the bullet holes in the glass - v.scary thought.

The following day we went to the aquarium, which was a bit dingy compared to what you would see in the UK, but was interesting and the entry so cheap, we walked along Marine Drive and Chowpatty beach on our way to the hanging gardens which was another bit of calm amongst the chaos. Directions in India are funny, everyone tells you straight ahead on the left only 10 minutes which really means an hour and you end up walking in circles.

Hope things are good at home and work and the weathers good HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA.

Next instalment is goa.....

I'll add some photos later - forgot the cable again. xx


permalink written by  Clarabella and Daniel on January 7, 2009 from Mumbai, India
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Relaxing in Goa - this is paradise

Goa, India


This is the life, arrived in Goa on Saturday 10th January and got a taxi to Anjuna in North Goa. Its famous for the all night rave's held on the beaches there from about the 1960's onwards. Apparently when the police found out we we're planning to stop by they papped an amplified music ban on almost every venue and outdoor space after 10pm, so all thats long gone. We did however muster the courage to patronise some of the area's most jumping night club dance venues. The first of these was called Tito's, which was in Baga (th next resort along) which having read up on it is famous for hosting India's best parties!!!!!!! It was full of Russian goons in muscle tops and Indian guys trying to get a slow dance with Dan. Imagine the Garage with a sound track of The World's Best R&B Hits 2002, no women and an aroma of stale sweat and Old Spice that could floor a horse and you'll have some idea of what a laugh it was.

Next we went to a place called Paradiso, its an open air club that overlooks the sea. It was a good bit better than our first taste of Indian Super Clubdom, 1000 RPS per couple to get in (12 quid) which included free booze all night. Dan was one of only two guys in the place, the rest of the crowd was made up of this 67 year old guy from Dehli called Ram who was a yoga expert and a world class rave dancer and loads of Russian girls who couldn't speak a word of English that me and Dan spoke to all night.

We stayed in Anjuna for 10 days at a place called Peaceland which is run by a really nice Goan couple and there two wee girls and two dogs. It is really busy in Goa and we frequented all of the restaurants and beach shacks - our favourite was Dhum Biryani which done excellent tandoori chicken, fish and bread and was so cheap. It is pitch black here at night apart from the main road and the first night we got lost coming back from the beach and nearly got eaten by a pack of stray dogs but one of the beach shack owners gave us a lift back on his scooter.

We're currently in South Goa in a wee town called Benaulim... miles of white, powdery sand and crystal clear sea thats like a luke warm bath... how's work? Can't wait to figure out how to upload the photos - this is paradise!! Compared to Anjuna it is really quiet here and not much traffic. We're staying in beach huts called Blue Corner which are ideal.

We've been here for about 12 days (lost count), not been doing much. Sitting around on the beach, swimming and riding the bikes that we hired for 60p a day (need to do some form of exercise when all you do each day is sit around reading and eating). Its buy 1 get 1 free cocktails which works out at about a pound each so most days we've been getting up around midday. We went to the Dhudsegar Waterfall and a spice plantation and a dolphin boat trip, all of which were excellent. Dan went to the fish market the other day with the Co-Co's bar owner Sanjay and bought some Tiger Prawns and King Prawns and we had them for dinner (mmmmm delicious).

Three days left here in South Goa to top up the tan and then we're moving on to Bangalore on 5th Feb which is much more of a hectic big city...more soon. xx

permalink written by  Clarabella and Daniel on January 10, 2009 from Goa, India
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Hampi, India




permalink written by  Clarabella and Daniel on January 25, 2009 from Hampi, India
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Bangalore, India




permalink written by  Clarabella and Daniel on January 29, 2009 from Bangalore, India
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Mysore, India




permalink written by  Clarabella and Daniel on February 3, 2009 from Mysore, India
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Udagamandalam, India




permalink written by  Clarabella and Daniel on February 7, 2009 from Udagamandalam, India
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Cochin, India




permalink written by  Clarabella and Daniel on February 7, 2009 from Cochin, India
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Alleppey, India




permalink written by  Clarabella and Daniel on February 7, 2009 from Alleppey, India
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Varkkallai, India




permalink written by  Clarabella and Daniel on February 9, 2009 from Varkkallai, India
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We're off on a great big exciting adventure round Asia and Australia in 2009. Keep you posted here about our escapades.

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