Hi guys,
maybe this is my last post, let’s see if I will post something else about this amazing experience (maybe some essay about each country that I’ve visited, not sure yet).
Last day in India was spent looking around some area in the north and then waiting for the flight (2am, really bad time!): since the recently terrorist attacks in Mumbai and the continuously threats in London, the check-in was really strict and even after we have received many perquisitions….anyway, once on the flight I’ve just ate a really fast meat (at maybe 3.30 in the morning) and then I’ve slept most of the time!
I arrived in London Heathrow early in the morning, I’ve spent all day doing some stuff and then in the evening I’ve met many friends at Zebrano, at Carnaby St.! Here I’ve passed really good time since most of the people that I’ve invited came to the appointment: Stella from Canada, Rowena from Australia, my London’s new friends Davina and Pamela, Daniela from “Avezzano” (Italy) & her friends and BOZINOVSKY (I like to call my friend Dan by surname!).
The day after I’ve also seen Cameron which couldn’t came the day before, then I’ve been to London Stansted and I’ve flight back to Italy (Roma)….even this time the flight leaved quite late due to the strictly perquisitions which delayed most of the passengers to arrive on time at the gate!
Anyway, finally, at around 10pm, the really bad Ryanair aircraft landed Rome (since when I’ve started my world trip I’ve travelled with such amazing aircraft and instead now, flying again with Ryanair, make me feel really unsafe and sad!)...thus I was back again in my country!!!! It was such great emotions for me to be back in Rome after more than 5 months, I was really really happy…and after few minutes I was even more happy looking the Italian way on doing things (I shouldn’t be proud of that but it’s funny and now I’m going to tell you!): once inside the airport, all the people are subject to check their passport before to enter officially in Italy and wait their luggage! The funny scene was this policeman which was quite boring and half sleeping due the late time and thus, what a great idea, instead of checking the passport was just there using his right arm telling to the people to pass the gate just by showing the cover of their passport (thus without even check the first page where to photo is). The result was that I’ve had one of my fastest moment in my life to check my passport (all those 5 months I’ve waited really too long time in lines, everybody were so strict…yes, but not in Italy!!!).
The same night I slept in Rome in my ex-flat (my brother still live there), then the day after I travel again, this time to Sulmona, where my parents live!!! It’s so strange now to be here, writing one of my posts, after have been in Mumbai 3 days ago, 2 days ago in London, last night in Rome and now here in Abruzzo!!!
I was glad to have seen my Italian friends as well here and now we have to celebrate my return (maybe a week with party every night??!! No, I’m jocking), then when I will recover all my powers I will decide if write more or not about this amazing experience, that I really recommend to do and I hope you will have a chance in the future to do it!
Take care
Andrea
Saturday, September 09, 2006
Thursday, September 07, 2006
More info about India...
Dear friends,
I’ve jsut found spare time to update you about my last movements and to finish my description about India!
As already said, a good thing about India is that everybofy speak english (since it was a british colony), so to move around there is abosolutely no problem...of course talking with old people could be more challenging! In particular, TV channels are half hindi and half in english (even if this other part is made by indian people so it's not so easy to understand their "english version")
The country is similar to Thailand about fees entrance for museum or more in general to bargain with the people about the prize! For example, all the foreigners are supposed to pay something like 300 indian rupee to get in a museum, where instead the Indians pay only 10 rupee!! Now, it this case I was lucky because I’ve asked the discount price for student, which was 6 rupee, thus I’ve showed him my ex-Royal Holloway student card (expired on 2005) and the guy let me in for 6 instead of 300 rupee!!!! Another example is where I was buying a world map on the street: the guy asked for 650 but then slowly slowly he came down to just 100 rupee (less than 2 euro!). What I’m trying to say is that those countries are quite poor so all the time they try to make more money with the tourists, since they don’t really care if spend 10 or 2 euro for a map!!!
During my permanence in Colaba (south Mumbai), I’ve found a great pure vegetarian restaurant next to my hotel: after my first meal I’ve understood that that place will be became my only and unique place where to eat! I still thinking about the great black tea served with a different white sugar (different from the kind of sugar sold here in Europe) and the two white and red salsa which are served with any kind of food (just to let you know, most of the restaurant here are vegetarian due to Indian and Muslins religions, so most of my Indian experience I haven’t ate much meat!).
Moving around the city is pretty easy, first because there are taxi everywhere (prices are really cheap as well, and too funny where you have to pay: they still have old taxi meter, so everybody has a paper with the conversion from what the meter say and how much instead is the real cost!), but also because train and ferry are quite efficiently (even if a little bit dirty..); in particular, the ferry is the only way to get to Elephanta Island, a nice place that recommend to visit (there are really few interesting things to visit in Mumbai): there I’ve met many Indian guys from the Navy, and with them I’ve visit the caves and monkeys on the island (they also tried to help me to pay the Indian price to get in (10rupee) without any success, I’ve paid 250,shit!
Except for this small island, other places that could be interesting to visit in Mumbai are the Haji Ali Mosque (nice for the special position where this building was constructed), Kamla Nehru Park (good view of the city) and Washing Laundry (at Dhobi Ghat, maybe the most interesting place in all Mumbay). In general Colaba is the place to be seen during the day, where instead the north of the city is more attractive for the nightlife (in particular Bandra and Khar).
A couple of nights I’ve been dancing with two crazy guys, Martins from Goa (too funny when he get piss off with the taxi driver which was trying to take a longer way….he’s from there but in the car was talking in English, so all the taxi driver believed he was a tourist as well!), and Danis from St. Peterbourgh (good photographer and crazy dancer): with them I’ve been in a couple of clubs, of course only after have get drunk in some really cheap place that Martins knew….one of those nights I’ve also been to a salsa club, but I really don’t recommend to visit this place if you are looking for good dancer and good music!! Anyway, it was fun and we met nice girls (not Indian). In general anyway, most of the clubs are in the biggest 5 stars hotels, just like in Puerto Rico!
Finally, I think that if you wanna visit India, Mumbai is not really the best place where to go, or at the least you can come here for few days but then you’ve to move in the north/south of the country to see something more tipical (I guess). In particular, I think this country is under transformation from their old culture to our western culture: there are many example like people start drinking alcoholic cocktail (the religion is against that) or most of the girls doesn’t dress anymore traditional clothes, etc…
Anyway, my last day was spent around Juhu and Andheri, but nothing interesting to say…that’s why I’ve preferred to come back to the airport earlier (at 8pm I was already there, when the flight was at 2am!).
About India, I always will keep with me in my mind the memories of all the people sleeping in the streets and the funny way how they move their head when they are not really sure about what to answer after a your affirmation (or question)!
I’ve jsut found spare time to update you about my last movements and to finish my description about India!
As already said, a good thing about India is that everybofy speak english (since it was a british colony), so to move around there is abosolutely no problem...of course talking with old people could be more challenging! In particular, TV channels are half hindi and half in english (even if this other part is made by indian people so it's not so easy to understand their "english version")
The country is similar to Thailand about fees entrance for museum or more in general to bargain with the people about the prize! For example, all the foreigners are supposed to pay something like 300 indian rupee to get in a museum, where instead the Indians pay only 10 rupee!! Now, it this case I was lucky because I’ve asked the discount price for student, which was 6 rupee, thus I’ve showed him my ex-Royal Holloway student card (expired on 2005) and the guy let me in for 6 instead of 300 rupee!!!! Another example is where I was buying a world map on the street: the guy asked for 650 but then slowly slowly he came down to just 100 rupee (less than 2 euro!). What I’m trying to say is that those countries are quite poor so all the time they try to make more money with the tourists, since they don’t really care if spend 10 or 2 euro for a map!!!
During my permanence in Colaba (south Mumbai), I’ve found a great pure vegetarian restaurant next to my hotel: after my first meal I’ve understood that that place will be became my only and unique place where to eat! I still thinking about the great black tea served with a different white sugar (different from the kind of sugar sold here in Europe) and the two white and red salsa which are served with any kind of food (just to let you know, most of the restaurant here are vegetarian due to Indian and Muslins religions, so most of my Indian experience I haven’t ate much meat!).
Moving around the city is pretty easy, first because there are taxi everywhere (prices are really cheap as well, and too funny where you have to pay: they still have old taxi meter, so everybody has a paper with the conversion from what the meter say and how much instead is the real cost!), but also because train and ferry are quite efficiently (even if a little bit dirty..); in particular, the ferry is the only way to get to Elephanta Island, a nice place that recommend to visit (there are really few interesting things to visit in Mumbai): there I’ve met many Indian guys from the Navy, and with them I’ve visit the caves and monkeys on the island (they also tried to help me to pay the Indian price to get in (10rupee) without any success, I’ve paid 250,shit!
Except for this small island, other places that could be interesting to visit in Mumbai are the Haji Ali Mosque (nice for the special position where this building was constructed), Kamla Nehru Park (good view of the city) and Washing Laundry (at Dhobi Ghat, maybe the most interesting place in all Mumbay). In general Colaba is the place to be seen during the day, where instead the north of the city is more attractive for the nightlife (in particular Bandra and Khar).
A couple of nights I’ve been dancing with two crazy guys, Martins from Goa (too funny when he get piss off with the taxi driver which was trying to take a longer way….he’s from there but in the car was talking in English, so all the taxi driver believed he was a tourist as well!), and Danis from St. Peterbourgh (good photographer and crazy dancer): with them I’ve been in a couple of clubs, of course only after have get drunk in some really cheap place that Martins knew….one of those nights I’ve also been to a salsa club, but I really don’t recommend to visit this place if you are looking for good dancer and good music!! Anyway, it was fun and we met nice girls (not Indian). In general anyway, most of the clubs are in the biggest 5 stars hotels, just like in Puerto Rico!
Finally, I think that if you wanna visit India, Mumbai is not really the best place where to go, or at the least you can come here for few days but then you’ve to move in the north/south of the country to see something more tipical (I guess). In particular, I think this country is under transformation from their old culture to our western culture: there are many example like people start drinking alcoholic cocktail (the religion is against that) or most of the girls doesn’t dress anymore traditional clothes, etc…
Anyway, my last day was spent around Juhu and Andheri, but nothing interesting to say…that’s why I’ve preferred to come back to the airport earlier (at 8pm I was already there, when the flight was at 2am!).
About India, I always will keep with me in my mind the memories of all the people sleeping in the streets and the funny way how they move their head when they are not really sure about what to answer after a your affirmation (or question)!
Monday, September 04, 2006
Mumbai (Bombay), India
Dear friend,
one of my last posts is for this another great country: India! Sorry, I mean Bombay and not India since I've been only in this city and I'm not planning to travel inside it (no much time left, I need to start working, holidays are over).
Anyway, visiting this city is enough to have a first impression of the country and also to see some main and interesting differences compared with the Western culture!
I don't really know where to start...I'm arrived here on Wednesday and I slept for two nights in a hostel found on internet, thus even if it was considered acceptable to live, it was quite far for the main centre and nightlife....better, it was between the two main touristic centre, but far from both! So I've decided to move to Colaba, in the south, for another 3 days, and then in the north for another 2 (on this way I can see both the nightlifes).
Anyway, with transportation there are no problem: cheap and affidable, so even from this first place (Grand road), you can still move around easily!
India is pretty different from Thailand (of course, what a discover!)....I mean, I believed that this country was pretty much close to an European economic than of any other Asian conutry (this just because right now India is the third most powerful economic in the world!), and instead it reflect exactly the China's moment: the economic is growing pretty fast but the live standards are pretty poor! To be more exactly, people here are more poor than any other countries that I've visited! Compared to Thailand, India is more cheaper (even if not for everything) and people are generally mroe poor! Wherever you go you can see people sleeping in the streets, other living in the streets (yes, whole families live inside a unique container hand-made....hard to explain for my pooring english!), and most of the time you can see people just hanging out the city trying to find something to do (or maybe they are doing something for live but I still don't understand what). If for example you stop someone for ask information and the conversation takes a while, at the end you will be surranded by 10-15 people, just there listening, but because they don't really have anything better to do!
To summarize, the population is really poor, I never expected to find this country like this, expecially after my month in Thailand, where everything was clean and nice, even if the country wasn't considered rich! The first impression when somebody comes to India is to be projected in the past, 20-30 years ago! This is really interesting since you can really learn a lot from that....but it's too hard to explain you, the only way is to come here and see by yourself!!
About my experiences here, I've met some cool guys from Russia and Goa (India), and with them I've passed really good time on saturday and sunday night (this one in a latin club first, and then in a famous house club). During the day I've basically explored the city by myself, meeting all the time different people, most of them from India! People are really nice with tourist, but you also need to be carefull from them since poverty can make the difference...in particular the city is splitted my Hindies and Muslins, the first one are fine since their religion is pretty much similar to the Thai one (based on Karma), but I don't know yet much about th Muslins but it doesn't look good from my point of view.
Tonight, monday, there is no too much to do so I've decided to spent some time here at the Internet Cafe' (anyway, wherever you are, Monday is always like that....ops, not true, Thailand is an exeption!), and tomorrow I'm moving in th north of th city, around Bandra/Khar West, where most of the clubs are, hoping to find something interesting to do over there since here in Colaba I really think to have seen everything.....just to let you know, the city is not famous at all for attractions, it remind me Milan, where all the business and economic things are, but not so interesting like Rome of Venice (translated for Indian cities, Dheli is good for architecture - the monumental Taj Mahal is there - and Goa for the beaches and the crazy nightlife)...next trip in India will be thus directed to Goa first (where my new friend Martins live), and then maybe the south! If you think that people from the south must speak in english to understand people from the north, and viceversa of course, it means that travelling in India allow to see really different cultures and amazing places, even if you're in the same country!
Ok, I'm getting bored of typing, I will write more about India in the next future!
See ya
one of my last posts is for this another great country: India! Sorry, I mean Bombay and not India since I've been only in this city and I'm not planning to travel inside it (no much time left, I need to start working, holidays are over).
Anyway, visiting this city is enough to have a first impression of the country and also to see some main and interesting differences compared with the Western culture!
I don't really know where to start...I'm arrived here on Wednesday and I slept for two nights in a hostel found on internet, thus even if it was considered acceptable to live, it was quite far for the main centre and nightlife....better, it was between the two main touristic centre, but far from both! So I've decided to move to Colaba, in the south, for another 3 days, and then in the north for another 2 (on this way I can see both the nightlifes).
Anyway, with transportation there are no problem: cheap and affidable, so even from this first place (Grand road), you can still move around easily!
India is pretty different from Thailand (of course, what a discover!)....I mean, I believed that this country was pretty much close to an European economic than of any other Asian conutry (this just because right now India is the third most powerful economic in the world!), and instead it reflect exactly the China's moment: the economic is growing pretty fast but the live standards are pretty poor! To be more exactly, people here are more poor than any other countries that I've visited! Compared to Thailand, India is more cheaper (even if not for everything) and people are generally mroe poor! Wherever you go you can see people sleeping in the streets, other living in the streets (yes, whole families live inside a unique container hand-made....hard to explain for my pooring english!), and most of the time you can see people just hanging out the city trying to find something to do (or maybe they are doing something for live but I still don't understand what). If for example you stop someone for ask information and the conversation takes a while, at the end you will be surranded by 10-15 people, just there listening, but because they don't really have anything better to do!
To summarize, the population is really poor, I never expected to find this country like this, expecially after my month in Thailand, where everything was clean and nice, even if the country wasn't considered rich! The first impression when somebody comes to India is to be projected in the past, 20-30 years ago! This is really interesting since you can really learn a lot from that....but it's too hard to explain you, the only way is to come here and see by yourself!!
About my experiences here, I've met some cool guys from Russia and Goa (India), and with them I've passed really good time on saturday and sunday night (this one in a latin club first, and then in a famous house club). During the day I've basically explored the city by myself, meeting all the time different people, most of them from India! People are really nice with tourist, but you also need to be carefull from them since poverty can make the difference...in particular the city is splitted my Hindies and Muslins, the first one are fine since their religion is pretty much similar to the Thai one (based on Karma), but I don't know yet much about th Muslins but it doesn't look good from my point of view.
Tonight, monday, there is no too much to do so I've decided to spent some time here at the Internet Cafe' (anyway, wherever you are, Monday is always like that....ops, not true, Thailand is an exeption!), and tomorrow I'm moving in th north of th city, around Bandra/Khar West, where most of the clubs are, hoping to find something interesting to do over there since here in Colaba I really think to have seen everything.....just to let you know, the city is not famous at all for attractions, it remind me Milan, where all the business and economic things are, but not so interesting like Rome of Venice (translated for Indian cities, Dheli is good for architecture - the monumental Taj Mahal is there - and Goa for the beaches and the crazy nightlife)...next trip in India will be thus directed to Goa first (where my new friend Martins live), and then maybe the south! If you think that people from the south must speak in english to understand people from the north, and viceversa of course, it means that travelling in India allow to see really different cultures and amazing places, even if you're in the same country!
Ok, I'm getting bored of typing, I will write more about India in the next future!
See ya
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