Monday Morning Updates

Travel blog of Roshan Chhotu

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Final Round-up of India

Kerala was the chilled part of India. This post is a month overdue so is a mash-together of all my shenanigans in Kerala - the Back Waters Tour in Kochin, generally seeing birds of all types working around the very green and very tropical Indian state, traditional Karnataka dancing, and my trip up to Periyar & Munnar (although Periyar has an average elephant population density of 1/sqkm I saw no wild elephants on my hike.

After Kerala, I flew to Mumbai where I stayed with family. Mentally I guess I had checked out of backpacking so did absolutely nothing tourist related. I didn’t even go to see the slums which I wanted to, in fact, I don’t think I even turned my camera on. Then, I jumped onto a plane and made for England where I’d spend just a few days before starting my new life in Singapore. 

Backwaters Tour - the most relaxing few hours of my life

Backwaters Tour - traditional rope making

Birds

Karantaka - Traditional Keralan Dancing

Periyar & Munnar

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India - Goa

From Kutch I swung through Ahmedabad and Navsari to visit family. That brought me to the end of the year. I was ready to start the New Year with a party and fun so I flew to Goa.

The first three pictures are of the Saturday market in Goa - possibly one of the best markets I’ve visited since I started travelling. 

The next six are from lazing around the beach. 

Last year I entered 2015 looking down on fireworks - for the first time in my life - from a rooftop bar in Bangkok. This year I entered the New Year - 2016 - on a beach completely surrounded by fireworks. They were being fired off from in front of me, to the left, to the right, behind me - an entire 360-degree panorama of fireworks. Another special fireworks displays and another first. A fitting coda to an awesome year and another special start to the next. 

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India - Gujarat - Kutch - White Rann

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Udaipur

I did go to Udaipur but didn’t take any pictures - I was feeling lazy and lacked creativity to take anything. 

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India - Jodhpur - Mehrangarh Fort 

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India - Jodhpur - The Colours and Clocktower of Jodhpur

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India - Jodhpur - The Blue City

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India - Jaipur - Vipassana Meditation - Tranquility with Wildlife

There were an insane number of species just roaming freely around the centre - that’s what happens when humans shut up for a while. I spotted around 2-3 dozen (if not more) peacocks running around the Meditation Centre. 

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India - Jaipur - Round 3

The Land of Kings famous for being colourful. 

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India - Jaisalmer - Jaisalmer Fort

Jaisalmer is the prettiest of all the Indian cities. Beautiful cultural heritage perfectly preserved and incorporated into modern life. 

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India - Jaisalmer - Camel Safari

Safari to the Thar desert with the happiest camel I’ve ever met. Also a picture of my night bus which hit something and swerved off the road in the middle of the night - somehow managing to not spin out and continuing at 60kmh as if nothing happened. 

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India - Rishikesh - A 8-hour hike 

As soon as I started a pack of dogs started to follow me though 20 minutes later all but one had dispersed. Up to the waterfall, then continuing up over the hills. Through the hills, walking on top of the man-made aquifers that irrigate the surrounding farmland. After an hour, the a path/road continued up the hill. Off the path were the small farmers paths through the farm land which cut a straight line through a 10km loop that would save a lot of time. Eventually rejoining the main road I made it to the top of the hill. Bernard - the intrepid dog followed me all the way for 8 hours even when we had to backtrack. 

No guide was needed, just curiosity and a compass. 

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India - Rishikesh - The ashram what the Beatles went to

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India - Rishikesh - Walking Around

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India - Dharamsala - Walking Around

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India - Dharamsala - The Buddhist Monastery

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India - Dharamsala - Tibet Museum

Some of the faces of those who have set themselves alight in protest.