From Laos and into Cambodia

My final evening in Vientiane was something of a gamechanger in so far as my plans were concerned. Having spoken with a couple who had travelled from central Laos up to the capital, they suggested that apart from a road and a few villages that was it for the best part of 500 kms. Studying the map I realised that the first 200kms I would be heading north and only then back to the same latitude at Vientiane. I decided to head back through Thailand, so cycled to Ubon Thani (about 100kms), caught the sleeper train to Bangkok and then cycle from Bangkok to Cambodia. Having cycled from Bangkok on virtually the same route I didnt feel bad aboutdoing the return on a train.

Got through the Laos/Thai customs in 10 minutes, unbelievable. Wearing a football shirt seems to do it for these chaps, absolutely whistled through, chatting about English teams, no worries. Must say that I have found with all the customs guys, plus military and police from every country I have visited, just how helpful they are, especially when they know what I'm doing. Hope this continues as on more than one instance it has proved to be to my enormous benefit.

Arrived in Bangkok at 7am having enjoyed a cracking sleep on the train. Managing to lug Cynthia off the train, which is no mean feat given that the height of the carriage is 3 feet above the platform and the carriage doors are not exactly wide. In the main concourse I filled up on coffee and donuts and tried to work out how to get out of the city. Eventually, having completed a circuit of sorts, I got onto the right road, we are now talking some 4 hours later and going nowhere. My navigation skills are suspect as I freely admit, but it doesn't help when you have 3 roads all numbered the one you think you want. Anyhow, sorted eventually, and I think I now know my way around east Bangkok reasonably well, so always a plus.

The distance between Bangkok and Poipet (border) is about 3 days comfortable cycling and not pushing it. Mind you in this humidity its hard to rack up the mileage although I have improved from a pathetic 60kms a day when I first started cycling in Thailand heading to Laos, to a more respectable 100 - 110kms so I must be getting conditioned to it. It doesn't alter the fact that it is not the most favourite cycling conditions, although the malaria tabs have settled which is a real plus.

The topography to the Thai border is flat, wetlands and rice paddies, intersperced by numerous villages and towns. Fortunately, the towns were evenly spaced for each days cycling and my last night I held up 6kms from the border at Aranthaprathet, and set off early the following morning to cross at Poipet. Like all land border crossings, the whole place was bustling with markets, taxis, people wanting to take you here there and everywhere for cheap price! On the Thai side they have a scam whereby they tell you they will get you a Cambodian visa, not telling you that you still have to pay again as you hit the Cambodian immigration. Very naughty, Lonely Planet held this up, and thank you to them, not that I would have gone down that route. I was approached and politely told them where to go despite there insistance that without there help I would not get into Cambodia!!!!!!!! Nice try fellers but no lollypop!! Crossing the border was dead easy, just follow a dirt road along with loads of others, pass casinos and hotels inbetween, which look like real dens of iniquity, and then sort the visa for Cambodia which took $20 and 10 minutes, oh and the immigration chap was insistant that he look at Cynthia just to see her, and sound her klaxon. The klaxon has proved quite a hit with the locals, and often when in a shop I hear it sound with kids all around it. I heard the Cambodian Visa is a good one to get as its artistically very attractive; it is.

Having cleared the border I headed for Sissaphon about 50 kms up the road. As with Thailand the road was pretty straight with a decent cycle shoulder, either side being rice paddies, irrigated by numerous streams and rivers, where the locals fish with nets which they cast in the water. These places are also a magnate for kids who jump and swim in the often muddy waters; in fact thinking about it my experience of most kids is up to their necks in water. Unlike Thailand, which offered frequent petrolstations with either 7/11's or Tesco Lotus convenience stores, there is non of that in Cambodia. Here if you want a drink you pull in at a village where many of the shops are effectively extensions of their dwellings. Ususally a tin roof shack, dusty floor with sleeping area, while to the front is a display of rustic shelving with limited stock and a large red ice box where the drinks are kept. Very few places have a proper upright chiller, consequently the drinks arn't that cold. A bloke in a lorry comes by and delivers ice slabs which he cuts with a saw from a 6 foot by 1 foot section and places the cut ice slabs into the red box. I love stopping at these places, which I do often as it gives me a chance to say hello and put a dollar or two into their pockets. Without exception, when you stop and buy, the lady will bring out a chair to sit on in the shade. They really are so couteous and charming. I always make a big deal about thanking them. All the way the kids wave and shout hello; they pass you on motor scooters and turn and just melt you with their smiles and a wave. Cute doesnt do them justice. Some who have learn't a little English come and talk to you. They are something. Almost without exception every dwelling has a tv and its on all day; most households also seem to own a scooter. Now these are a piece of work and are used for just about everything. Few wear crash helmuts, and its not unusual to see mum, dad and up to 3 kids astride a 125cc honda; but the best is when they use these bikes to transport stuff. I saw one bike loaded so much with 4 sacks which I reckoned were 8 feet wide (as the cycle shoulder is about 6 feet) and at least 6 foot high; the rider was all over the place. They carry livestock, you often see 2 full sized dead pigs strapped on the back, trotters in the air. They also have a cunning version of trailers, designed for whatever task needed again for livestock or pallets of goods, very inventive.

I cycled from Sissaphon to Seim Reap (about 110 kms) arrived around 2 pm, located the tourist office and found an excellent place to stay for $12 and you get a breakfast thrown in. On the way in, scooters would come alongside and the drivers would chat to you and welcome you, just that, just being friendly. Seim Reap is a city about the size of Exeter and from the direction I entered, the first impression is definately that of a tourist city. You cycle down what I call the strip, big hotels either side, a bit like Vegas, well a very little bit, but you get the idea; then you hit the centre where there are examples of French colonial architecture which is very attractive. The main centre of activity is focused around the Old Market where there are a proliferation of bars, restaurants, massage parlors, shops etc. This is backpacker country and close to where my place is.

So ok, I have set the scene, people come here for one reason; to see Angkor Wat. This complex of temples lies about 7 kms to the north and having purchased a ticket enroute you are free to go and explore. Needless to say there are motor bikes to hire, bikes with carriage trailers, limos, buses; well the while myriad of transportation, making its way from Seim Reap to Angkor like ants. At this point, I assuming you are reasonably fit I would recommend cycling; take your time meandering along, stop off check out the temples, stop for a beer or two, its a great way of seeing this amazing piece of history and architecture. I am not going to give a history of the place, suffice to say Angkor which is the main temple means Capital City and was the capital of the Khmer empire that existed in this area between the 9th and 12th centuries. At its height more than 1 million people lived here. The size of the site is several kilometers square and you wouldnt walk it. Although Angkor Wat is the one everyone knows, its not my personal favourite; Bayon and some of the smaller temples are more interesting and visually impressive. If you are a keen historian you would want to spend weeks here, I am not, for me I like to focus on the vista impact and setting of a place, the wow factor I suppose. Thats me being a superficial kind of bloke when it comes to history; I want to be informed as to the general history but not to overturn every stone if you see what I mean. I have posted pics of the visit although I am sure most of you are familiar with this place. It has a wonderful setting including a lake moat around Angkor Wat itself and you travel through dense woodland.

I spent a day and for me that was sufficient, I took Cynth out for the day, it was strange riding her without panniers; the first time since I left England. Nearly fell off as the front span round being so light and responsive; I'm used to handling the equivalent of a tank. Thought I'd see what she could do on the flat and there was a stretch of 1.3 kms straight between temples. Managed to keep at or above 30 kms/hr for the entire length, felt quite pleased as she is a lump weighing in at 18kgs and fitted with 2.25" Marathon XR tyres so she is no sleek roadbike.

Angkor Wat is hugely impressive and a must see place. As I mentioned above, I tend to judge a place on its wow factor, how it affects me when I see it. I appreciate this is not how many people may judge a place and I fully accept that. I would place Angkor Wat third behind Home Park and the Tamar Bridge!!! Sorry, excuse the flippancy, I realise I am perhaps entering the realms of fantasy here, or maybe not! I would place Angkor Wat third behind the Taj Mahal (2nd) and a long way behind my personal favourite Machu Pichu (1st).

Planning on staying in Seim Reap for another day then catching a ferry across the water to Battembang (can't make Phnom Penh as you can only do that in monsoon season. Battembang is supposed to be definately worth seeing and it will be different to take the ferry. I hear they make a half decent cake there as well!! Then on to the capital but thats for later. For now a beer and supper later at the Red Piano which is pretty good. Oh, as I am sure most of you know Cambodia is very cheap so I can really pack the calories in in preparation for the next leg. Cheers.

Laos - a bit extra!

Just a brief update and by way of an apology my information concerning the railway described in the previous blog appears incorrect. Typical, having just completed the blog yestderday, I was regaining the strength of my fingers around a beer glass by the river and chatting to two Dutch representatives working with NGO who were attending a conference. They were also of the opinion that the railway was due to be built that would fast track a route between China and Singapore. Overhearing the conversation was an Aussie builder who has lived here for twenty years and seems to have a sound grasp of what's going on in the country. According to him, the Laos Government have apparently decided not to agree to a railway. It had been verbally discussed and there was a suggestion that some agreement had been reached and money changed hands, but the latest seems to be no railway line, which would incidently, have passed by the fringe of LP en-route to Vientiane. So perhaps the prospective travellor will have a little more time to enjoy LP in its present state.

The Laos flag consists of three horizontal bars, a central blue band (incorporating a white centrally positioned circle) either side of which is a red band. They also fly another flag, all red with the hammer and sickle. Now the full name for Laos is the Peoples Democratic Republic which can be interpreted in a number of ways, however, the meaning of the flag is supposed to highlight work. Interpretation seems to be something of a grey area, but from what little I have seen, and from what people who live here say, the lower income do get looked after and that is clearly evident. It appears that the poorest region in Laos is to the east bordering with Vietnam. The reason is that they cannot grow enough rice to sustain them for the whole year since they cannot expand their agricultural holdings. This is due to the danger from unexploded ordnance: Laos was effectively carpet bombed during the war. In fact the whole indo-china region has similar warnings, and a number of people have mentioned to me since arriving in this part of the world, not to go cycling 'off piste' so to speak; stick to the main roads at all times.

Now back in Vientiane having taken the sleeper coach. It was fine, only drawback is that the berths are ideal for anyone under 5'6'' (Laos size), anything much over and you develop contortionist techniques!

Luang Prabang or Shangri La!

Its a small town, population around 25,000 situated some 300+ kms north of Vienitiane and it could be a whole word away. Access is by bus or plane; the latter costs around $90 whereas the bus takes 10 hours and follows a series of S bends pretty much from start to finish. Most visitors take the bus; three leave every day, perhaps more now that high season is upon this neck of the woods. High season being November to February, coinciding with the more temperate climate.

Luang Prabang (hereafter shortened to LP) is like nowhere else I have visited, perhaps second only to Machu Pichu. It is a gem that unfortunately has been discovered, and will undoubtably become a backpackers favourite, well its getting that way already. The bus ride up was full of highs, I recommend that at least one direction you should travel in daylight, simply to see the unbelievable mountain formations rising from the jungle. Vertical rock and sugar loaves in all directions form an almost unique vista, it looks like something out of Jurassic Park and to be honest if we had seen brachiopods grazing it wouldn't have been out of place. The mountain villages, quite isolated although at roadside each form there own community. Most have a school and kids cycle to and from holding umbrellas for extra shade, looks like Mary Poppins. All the kids wear uniform and all are very smart, which given the dust and the washing facilities is something. Each village has a shop and as evening draws on, everyone heads to the communal washing area which may be a stream or pond, and having washed they all troup back to the village together. There is a real sense of community here, people eat together and look after each other. Each village seems to have communal washing lines and the harvest of red chilli's drying on cloth or a tin bowl that looks like a dustbin lid. There is a serenity about the lao people, they smile always say hello and are delighted when you take an interest in their produce. The whole way of lie avoids confrontation, I am sure if you shouted or argued or showed any form of verbal aggression, they would not know what to do. They are lovely people. What surprised me both travelling through Lao and in LP itself was the apparent quality of life. The village properties are built of cane or brick, substantial and I have not seen any beggars since arriving in the Country. All around is lush broad leaved vegetation with the backdrop of the aforementioned mountains.

LP itself, well how do I describe this place. There aren't enough superlatives really. Nestling beside the Mekong river, this town features some wonderful colonial architecture and heritage. It is a UNESCO site so although growth will occur one would like to think that the current character would be retained, but Im not holding my breath. The locals here know this place is about to explode onto the tourist map big time, and the tour operators and tuk tuk drivers already have the well worn tourist phrases in English and are targetting every westerner or non-Lao that passes. There are a lot of guest houses, all appear really well maintained, plus temples and markets and a shed load of bars and restaurants in town and along the river. Having a beer watching the sun set on the river is a real pleasure. LP is gearing up for the season, the sound of hammering neever far away. There are only two main streets, one 'inland' the other along the Mekong, each linked by a series of narrow streets mostly with guest houses. The vegetation is colourful, the town is very clean and it is a delight just to wander aimlessly around it at leisure. From here you can take a variety of tours to see watefalls, trek etc and a couple days is plenty to get a good feel for the town itself. There are loads of places to hire cycles and motorbikes if you wish to explore further. I am sure LP will change as more visitors put it on their itinerary; I have heard that China intends to build a railway through Laos to Vientiane which supposedly would link with LP, I hope that doesn't happen as I can't imagine the character remaining the same after that. 2014 is said to be the date this is going to take place, so if you want to see LP as is now, best get here sooner rather than later. As with all Laos, there is a very relaxed atmosphere here, beyond the river is the jungle canopy which extends down to the waters edge, beyond which are the mountain ranges which seem to curve around enclosing the whole scene. It is beautiful. I can see why they call it Shangri La it must be pretty close to it, and I think the locals have now woken up to this so lets just hope the balance stays so that visitors in years to come will feel the same sensation about this place that exists today.

Will try and get photos posted asap, this is always a problem for some reason in Laos, but if not here, then certainly when I get back to the capital.

As always, its great to catch up with everyone who kindly sends emails and texts; forget facebook, they have shut my account down, this is because I am visiting so many countries that a security block kicks in. Not bothered, as most of you know I thing facebook is a total waste of space and only signed up to it for the benefit of the blog. Thank you to those who do contact me though, its great to get your news, and of course get up to speed on the hot issues of the day like Plymouth winning again yesterday. Awesome result, even better when that rabble in red and white strips up the road lost at home.

Have given some thought as to progress from here. Originally it had been my intention to cycle through Laos into Cambodia. This is fine until the map shows me that there is only one road border crossing into Cambodia and after that I have to head south virtually to the Vietnam border then backtrack to Seim Reep and Ankor Wat. Then I would have to cycle back again to Phnom Penh. So I think I will catch the train back to Bangkok, and then cycle from ther eastwards into Cambodia. So effectively, keeping the journey going in an east direction; the cycle to Laos being an offshoot so to speak. I shall be sorry to leave LP but I know that there is so much ahead so hey, lets get travelling!



 

The Millionaire bit!

Forgot to mention that in Laos, the currency is the Kip of which apprximately 12,700 kip equals a pound. They have no coins only notes, the lowest denomination is 500 kip which by my reckoning is around 6p, At the ATM this afternoon I drew out 1,500,000 kip which is about 120 pounds give or take a few thousand kip. Never thought I would see a million of anything in my pocket!So off to celebrate this new status and blow the froth off a couple!4

Laos, I'm a millionaire at last!

Crossed the border at the Friendship Bridge which lies some 22 kms east of the capital Vientiane. No worries whatsoever, a seamless transfer from Thailand into Laos, the visa and all checks took around 30 minutes, could not have been easier.

But first the cycle through north Thailand. Having taken a somewhat circuitous route out of Bangkok, I came back onto the main road known as highway 2 which leads to the Friendship Bridge. This is a busy route mainly 2 and 3 carriageways with a Frontage Street which you can access at every decent size town and city, meaning you can stop and shop safely and rejoin the main road a little further on. Also, there is a full width shoulder lane for cyclists and motor cycles which is great, so a doddle of a route. Never seen a nation of such spontaneous smilers, they are all at it; its impossible not to smile back. Whenever I stopped for something to eat at a roadside cook up, they kindly invited me in, indeed a pleasant change from previous places where the crowds surround you with the thought of 'A tourist, how many rupees can we rip him off for!!!" Street food was pretty good, stuck to the hot stuff, bbq duck was a favourite, at least I think it was duck. The birds are smaller than in the UK and they have this quaint ritual of battering them until they resemble a pancake. So plenty of dislocated bones to navigate around, but ok nonetheless. Immediately beyond Bangkok, the topography is flat, wetland areas, saw numerous snakes, light yellow in colour and a huge lizard, must have been three to four feet, black with bright green striations down its back. The further north you went, the landscape turned agricultural/semi tropical. Monkeys swung around the telegraph poles and wires. From a cyclists perspective ideal cycling since there were no hills at all. The down side was the high humidity which was tough to deal with. Within 5 minutes of setting off, you were soaked in sweat, literally rivers of the stuff falling down the side of my head, down my trunk and legs and into my feet, Had to stop every half an hour to replenish liquid, fortunately, there were plenty of opportunities in the numerous towns and villages along the way to fill up. The dehydration and exercise didn't exactly compliment the malaria tabs I was taking, but with a bit of judicious shifting as to when to take the tablet, I felt much better.

The route through Thailand, well the route I took was probably not the most scenic, however, the people made up for it, and it was always a pleasure to stop and spend a few minutes with them at roadside. I tried to do this most of the time, however, the need for a few minutes air conditioning proved too much of a need on some occasions so I stopped off at a 7 /11 or, would you believe a Tesco Lotus. (Must have taken the marketing boys at Tesco a few sleepless nights to come up with that one!!). I stayed in hotels of various quality although all were ok. In the smaller towns, there were rarely any hotels advertised, but went under the name Resorts, which could mean a few chalet style units tucked away behind the town or on the periphery. They charge around 6 pounds a night for double room with air con and ensuite. For an extra 500 baht (about 10 pounds) you can order a young lady to keep you warm. Now I know why Tesco came up with Lotus!

So into Laos, from Friendship Bridge I had to cycle 22 kms into the city. I had downloaded the lonely Planet onto my kindle (incidently; apart from my brick of a phone, the kindle is the best thing I put in the pannier.) so headed for the guest house in question. Unfortunately, they were full for that day so booked up for 3 days and found a billet close by. Vientiane has a population of some 700,000 and is a quiet city. Very attractive and full of character displaying the legacy of French colonialism. The architecture, and street signs have the French imprint which is very stylish. Of course there are the historic temples and monuments such as That Dam and of course nowhere would be the same without a statue of the former king; King Fa Ngoum who stands in commanding posture overlooking the Mekong River.  The centre piece of the city is the Avenue Lane Xang which extends from the Presidential Palace (which itself overlooks the Mekong) and extends north to the Victory Monument built in 1957 although looks older. The Avenue itself is broadly the equivalent of Pall Mall/Whitehall with many of the Ministeries and major financial institutions either side.

Last evening, as is my habit, to celebrate the arrival in a new country I always celebrate with a few beers, sort of good luck charm. Well found a 4th floor bar overlooking the Mekong and watched the sun go down, just beautiful. There is something about the light which distinguishes south east Asia, just as the light in Dubai and Abu Dhabi reflect the Middle East. I count myself as probably one of the most fortunate human beings on the planet, being able to see these sights and take in such incredible places, good and bad. The sunset was a superb introduction to Laos. The French of course were all over Indo China like a rash and who could blame them. Given the choice between IndoChina and India (incorporating Pakistan as was) I know which I would have preferred and which would get my vote; the French were not daft. Strangely, I watched BBC World News last night. I'm not a fan of the BBC, much prefer CNN, but they interviewed the Indian housing minister about the problems facing Delhi. With the increased wealth, people are pouring into the city looking for work, plus they reckon 1,000 cars a day are being added. The minister believes high rise is the answer, with opposition saying no keep the city low rise and green. Well 4 million people are living in slums according to the report, and having come off the land, I cannot see them settling in a box on the 20th floor somewhere! That I think would take some persuasion. Well it didn't work in the West Minister, certainly not in the UK in the 60's at any rate. Try cleaning the place first and getting some decent infrastructure in place.

Cuisine in Laos is sensational, just about everything you could ask for is here. Beer is excellent too, which is far more important. Traditional French, asian just everything. Oh and they have a place called Jomo Bakery which does all day American Breakfasts. Unbelievable, waffles with maple syrup and cream, just the most sublime way to start the day.

Memo for Ed Wilkes GM Manor House Hotel, Studland Bay

Ed, think the need to introduce waffles and griddle cakes is a must for the hotel. Guests would love them. Its a winner. Get Pat onto it, he would do a good job. Definately not Alain, he's French and has no concept of good food whatsoever!

Plan on exploring the city for the next couple of days, then heading for Luang Prabang which I have heard is sensational. I shall leave Cynth at the hotel and take a bus, a 10 hour trip all mountainous. So for now xok dee and la korm (thats good luck and goodbye).

Bangkok, no chess but great place!

Good to have arrived in a country that takes a pride in its place and its people. For those of you unfamiliar with Bangkok, its a great city, vibrant and full of colour and places to visit. India was described in one of the Lonely Planet books  as the most colourful country in the world, or pretty close to that. I beg to differ unless of course you like shades of brown. Whoever wrote that article must have had a white stick. I would suggest that Bolivia, the West Indies and Brazil may have something to say about that, indeed many other countries as well.

Bangkok is a true international city, great place to visit, loads to see and do. The numerous air conditioned malls meet and run alongside the covered street vendors at roadside and its a blend that works. Its a pleasure wandering through the street stalls; the vendors give you no hassle so you just feel comfortable looking and buying. I have brought stacks here, replenished stuff that has been left behind, broken, damaged or worn out. The street food is also great. Didn't get the chance in India, too busy avoiding the touts and vendors seeking to make a rupee out of you.

Its cheap here as well, my hotel is a good 2 almost 3 star and is only 13 pounds a night, which is only a couple of quid more than I was paying in Delhi and believe me, there is no comparison. Bangkok is a great place to stay and plan for the next move. Picked up some great maps and have sorted the route, the first part of which takes me north east through Thailand to Laos crossing at Venetiene, then north to Luang Prabang, and then back south following the Mekong into Cambodia and onto Vietnam. There is a cycle route along the Mekong Delta which I also want to do.People I have spoken to rave about Laos and Cambodia, well the entire S.E.Asian area gets a big thumbs up. I'm having to hole up here as a typhoon is due to hit tomorrow (Sunday) and Monday, well the residue of it, still quite a lot of rain is predicted. So hopefully head out on tuesday.

Meanwhile I have given Cynth a major scrub up and checked her over after the flights; she has come out pretty well unscathed, which I feel is due in no small measure to the quality of build at Thorn. The bike is superb chaps, thank you. Also stacking up on the food. The hotel does a particularly excellent breakfast buffet. Bacon and eggs with tomato, pancakes, egg fried rice, maple syrup and ketchup on the same plate does amazing things to my tastebuds, a positive myriad of flavours! Cannot whack it and sets you up for the day. Bangkok, its great.





 

Incredible India!! Don't think so.

Have been here almost a week, so perhaps enough time to draw some initial conclusions and gain some opinion on this Country. I won't pull any punches, but will try to be as objective as I can.

India is without doubt the dirtiest filthiest Country I have ever visited. Rubbish piles pervade on just about every street, though obviously not the leafy areas of the Embassies. Pretty much everywhere in towns and villages, it is a common site to see cows, pigs and dogs scavenging for something to eat on these rubbish piles; yes even the cows have taken to chewing cardboard boxes. The place smells like a urinal, hardly surprising when walking along Chelmsford Road, which links New Delhi Station with Connaught Place, it is a common site to see the local fellers splashing their boots and other business along the wall and pavement even though a free convenience is located within a few yards. Connaught Place (Delhi) is a circular central feature with colonnades; in its day very imposing, and while there are many international brands are located within these walls, they are intersperced with local shops which are invariably run down and unattractive. In fairness, it doesn't help that many of the streets are in various states of repair largely due to work on the metro. In the station and along many streets it is commonplace to see men and women crashed out on the pavement or set back on a softer dust pile. This unfortunately reflects the real India. India is considered as an emerging economy which I am sure is the case, but it concerns me that with a population of 1.2 billion and growing that the relatively small percentage of 'earners' can continue to earn at a pace where the fortunes of the burgeoning poor can be improved. This to my mind is the huge challenge India faces at the outset. Where I am staying and the way I am travelling means that I think I get to see the real India, not the Bollywood that is sometimes portrayed. India remains a poor country with a huge gulf between the few rich and the many poor.

Wandering around Delhi, you are immediately targetted as a tourist and therefore every tout makes a B line for you. I have no problem with the cycle rickshaw drivers or the tuk tuk drivers, who pull up and invite you on board. Most are fine with a polite no and a smile; those that become more persistant, just firmer in response, but thats ok. No the worst as I say are the touts who sidle up alongside and start what they think is a polite conversation but you know its the onset of a grilling:
Where are you from?
Where are you going?
What do you want to buy?
Invariably working in pairs or as a team, they will pull every stunt to persuade you to follow them to a shop or tourist office where of course they get a commission. With these guys I give them very short change, very direct in my response once they wont accept my privacy or desire not to follow them. For those who plan on visiting dont go to any other tourist bureau other than 88 Jaynath (off Connaught Place) once there ask for a reputable place to book a tour. I booked the Agra tour through a Govt agency in Coffee Home two streets to the left of Jaynath on their recommendation. For fun, I also tried one of the touts recommendations, and for comparison purposes, they wanted to charge me 8500 rupees whereas the official operator charged 1134 rupees including guide, although entrance fees were on top, but then so would the other have been. The problem is that you become wary that everyone is a tout, and the genuine people of which there are many become tarred with the same brush. There are signs everywhere, not to deal with touts, and it doesnt exactly endear one to remain long in the place.

I have taken two tours, one to Jaipur and the other to Agra. I visited Jaipur by train, takes about 4 hours and is cheap. The railway is the preferred local carrier, they reckon that some 500,000 people a day pass through Delhi station. The place is heaving, and the 17 or so platforms all have trains with about the same number of carriages. It is necessary to book days in advance as every train is always full. A pub question could be, who is the worlds largest employer? The answer is Indian Railways with 1.4million employees!!!! Jaipur itself is located some 250kms to the west of Delhi in Rajastan. Having grabbed a taxi I did the sights including the Pink City so called because of the paintwork, the Amber Fort and the Floating Palace, the latter two being some 16 kms from the city. Very impressive although I think you have to go a long way to beat the coastal castles in Northumberland. I caught the sleeper train back to Delhi arriving at 5am. This was an experience, clearly well overbooked, my bunk was taken. This caused a point of discussion with other passengers, one of whom proceeded to unceremoniously poke the bag of rags on my bunk, and drag it off. This bag of rags turned out to be an old Indian lady, and I immediately told this bloke to stop, and that she was welcome to have the bunk. 'No, she sleep on floor' he replied to general consensus. 'No, end of' I replied and that was that. I got chatting to two more Indian ladies and shared their bunk until the conductor came along and asked me to regain my bunk or sit in its proximity. He then announced that the bunk was his, and proceeded to invite  the ladies to sleep on the carriage floor which they did. And who said the age of chivalry was dead!!!!! One feller I subsequently met on the Agra tour mentioned that woman bashing was quite the thing in many households. This is perhaps another facet of Indian life that needs attention. The train stank of urine, essentially, the outside doors were open and you just peed into the wind, or spat which is also a firm local favourite activity.

Agra was an excellent trip, 10 of us in two microbuses; the journey there took about 3 hours with a breakfast stop and a chance to stroke an Indian Cobra! We first touched onto the temple and Sandikara, before hitting the main event at the Taj Mahal. Agra itself is a very unattractive place, as everywhere the cacophany of noise from vehicle traffic and the traffic congestion itself was immense. The Taj seemed almost incongruous in its setting, although from the other side by the river its is superb. Millions of visitors of course, but it is spectacular and a definate must see. I love the Arabic/muslim architecture and the way they manage to use light. Its quite breathtaking and with the Taj well, spectacular. We were able to wander around and inside, worth the trip alone. The Red Fort was the final stop, well apart from the obligatory hustle into a marble shop. I met up with a young Chinese guy called Long Dong (would be a hard name to call in the UK dont you agree, imagine the stick he would get, but he was great company). He was doing well as he comes over to purchase silver and other products to ship back to Shanghai. He kindly gave me his card with an invitation to call when I pass through. The Red Fort is also very impressive. The journey back had its high spot to, since our vehicle was emitting blue smoke to the point where you couldn't see out the window, and by half time it was making inroads into the vehicle itself. So windows down so we didn't get CO poisoning, although the driver didn't seem to worry. WE also had a shunt, the driver got out, chatted to the bloke who ran into us and decided the dents hadn't got any bigger so they left it at that and drove off. Well this is India!

So what now, well for the moment the Inca Quickstep prevails so I'm not going anywhere for a day or so. But having sen what I have seen and the way I feel about things I have been playing for time. It had been my intention to set off yesterday, but I have dragged my heels. In short I am bottling out of India, I dont like it one bit, it does absolutely nothing for me,and I really don't fancy cycling across it. So I have booked a flight to Thailand for Wednesday and will head on from there. Yes, I do feel I am cheating, but I have had enough of this country and I see no incentive to stay. They say India is mystic and has an abundance of quality, well sorry I don't see it. Its just a dirty place that does nothing at all for me.