Tuesday 16th Nov, Puri
Some pre blog notes:
1) Just to put some perspective on the Divine Light Mission, its in Bihar, the nearly poorest state in India. Mr Lal (England fund raiser) and Kittu the centre manager, work prodigiously to help the local orphans. Kittu has not had a proper holiday in years. its a 24 7 job. If you are touched by this blog, contact me when I get home, maybe you could help me help the Divine Light Mission.
2) Have tried to down load several pictures, the internet is very slow here, also have just had a power cut. The latest is a Divali truck festival goers kicking off in the street in Kolkota.
3) My Rohan zipped leg trousers are definitely a good buy, they are good to wear, warm in the cold of Tiger Hill in Darjeeling, cool in Hoara Train Station. I have washed them, hung them up and in a couple of hours bone they are dry. The legs come off, when I am in the mood, basically legless shorts
4) Come on guys please add a comment, I have only 2 followers making regular comments, thanks Will, & Jamie.
I catch the train to Kolkota, back to Kolkota again, this time its the last time on this holiday. Get train to Bhubeneshwar, I have to travel lying on my bunk for 6 hours, there are no high up windows. The only thing of notice is the number of male heads of dyed hair that pass below my gaze. Grecian 2000 must have a big market here. I take a taxi to Puri.
Its a totally different countryside, coconut and banana trees flourish, there are fields of rice. Pools of lilac water hyacinth, lotuses and water lilies. Its the first time I have seen just the heads of water buffalo's just pocking out of the weed covered surface. There are lots of holy cows with short legs, sorry a correction, the water is right up to their udders. The only thing that I have seen in India that follows and obeys correct traffic rules are a family of 4 black wart hogs trotting towards oncoming traffic.
I stay at the Hotel Gandhara, its 20 quid a night but it has great air/con a fan and its clean. I go out into the night, the beach is packed with holiday makers, it reminds me of the wonderful Indian film set in Blackpool
"bharji on the beach". Its also an area for pedophiles, I feel somewhat vunerable, I do not know why. I buy a plate full of large fried prawns and beat a hasty retreat back to the hotel.
I wake at six in the morning and go for a swim, I pass through a narrow stall lined alley. The local stall holders are getting ready for the day, lighting up chillums of charas, (pipes of grass). I have been warned by my "Lonely Planet" guide book that the beach falls away fast, this explains the short rising waves that crash with a bang, there is quite an undertow. But I get the hang of the water and manage a few body surfs to the beach. Its warm and easy to swim in despite the pounding surf.
At 7.30am my prebooked coach trip does not arrive, instead a smiling man with a dell boy peaked cap asks me to jump on the back of his motorbike as the tour bus is half a mile away. Thank god its not busy we weave in and out of the oncoming traffic, so do they I arrive safely, its the first time I have been on a bike in 50 years. I join 40 fellow site seers, they are all Indian. The instructions are all in Hindi.
I am sending this half way through as I cannot face another power cut.
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