Since Pushkar...

Tahna and I went to Agra, Gwalior, Orcha, Khajuraho, Varanasi and then finally to Kolcata.

Agra was awesome! We saw the amazing Taj Mahal! Its so massive and intricate! I wish we had more time there. We didnt realize how early it closed. I also didnt think i would really want to stay for that long but we were there for probably 3 hours and we wanted more. Its amazing all the hard work and craftmenship goes into it, you really cant under stand unless yousee it up close. Outside of Agra we went to Fatehpur Sigrh which was also really nice but i have never been so hasseled in my life. The "guides" are so annoying and they try to drag you around for "free" but Tahna and i like to take things slowly and just wander. I dont really care abou the history of things i just like to see them. Guides are hard to shake off but we managed okay.

Gwalior... oh Gwalior. I swear to god Natahna and I were the only non-Indians there and it was a town of almost a million. The temples and ruins there were incredible! and mostly free! There was only one part you had to pay to get into but the rest was fair game. It was really fun, we spent a lot of time just wandering from building to building. There were no restaurants there... Really no tourist infrastructure whatsoever. Tahna and I found ourselves in a mall (which was a really weird east meets west experience) starving for food drinking espressos because we were lost... It was funny. Our hotel room was a dismal, watery shit hole though and i could not wait to leave that place in my wake. We also saw this amazing palace that had the two largest chandeliers in the world there. They both weighed 3.5 tonnes and to test the building to see if it was strong enough they put elephants on the roof! crazzzzzy.

Orcha was so beautiful! We only stayed for one day (which we regretted afterwards) but i could have probably spent 4 or 5. The entire city was riddled with small temples and ruins and gardens and it had a beautiful river. We sat and sang the Free Willy theme song by Michael Jackson by the river for a good couple hours. We also had a nice room which

Khajuraho was not my favourite. The touts were so annoying I actually almost punched one that was named "Ricky Martin". He kept following us around, when we were already shell shocked from the most intense bus ride we had ever had, and kept demanding that we be his friends because he wants to "travel the world and needs places to stay". I was not about to explain to him that people dont befriend eachother so they can take advantage of them but I think that i would have hit a language barrier so i told him that we wanted to be alone. Khajuraho had some nice temples with nice carvings but instead of exploring them Natahna and I spent most of our time watching HBO and eating room service and drinking Christmas drinks and it was AWESOME. I certainly beefed up my knowledge of 1990s B-Rated movies and found a new respect for Steve Martin. Most memorable movie quote was Charlize Theron in Sweet November saying: "It's life, it's just happening around us all the time". Well said Charlize... (thats sarcasm everyone FYI).

Thank GOD for Varanasi because i was starting to get a little jaded from temples and carvings. Varanasi was an amazing experience. It was a maze of tiny narrow alleys that were splattered with shops, chai wallahs, dabas, goats, dogs, cows EVERYTHING! It was so fun just to wander the roads and watch the people. We spent a lot of time just watching the various goings ons at the Ghats. GOOD TIMES!

Kalcota was a polluted noisy shithole but i was only there for 12 hours so you cant really say i'm an expert on the subject. Our hotel was amazing though, retro-chic and they werent even trying so that makes it even cooler! It had one of those ancient elevators that needed an operator it was so cool.

Now we are back in Bangkok and i have mixed feelings (see my other post) and it is SOOOOOO FREAKING HOT HERE OMG! Gonna kick it here for a few days then hit the beach hard.

lots of love to everyone out there and the following are my new albums on FB

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=232616&id=511320343&l=79512874f8

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=232619&id=511320343&l=1305725e23

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ENJOY!
And now i'm back in Bangkok. I LOVE BANGKOK

Dear India:

I feel the way one feels after stepping out of a crowded room into the cool quiet night. The silence is ear splitting, and lack of stimuli is not alleviating but aggrovating. The things that i abhored i know hold dear, like the tides of flies crashing and retreating against your skin, the myriad of smells, both good and bad, the dodging and weaving between people, cars, motorbikes and cows... Without all that everything seems so... bland.

Here are some of my favourite moments:

• Khajuraho train station when i was ordering Chai for Tahna and I. I ordered it with difficulty because of the language then i was motioned to take a seat. I sat alone and then a man sat on one side of me, then the other, then a man burst out laughing at me, pointed finger and all, then two were standing infront of me and then two more... Before i knew it i was surrounded by about 10 or more locals just staring at me
• Wandana (her name means make a wish)... A little girl from Varanasi who was selling these little flower boats with candles that you put into the ganges. She was one of the most special people i have met in my life. She spoke perfect english and convinced Tahna and I that we should part with a few of our belongings and WAY too many rupees and she also got a few juices out of us. We didnt mind though because she was so beautiful and kind. I will never forget when she made a wish with us at the ganges.
• Watching the various goings ons at the Ghats in Varanasi. We saw many Pujas (religious songs), Religious gatherings and demonstrations, cow cleanings and just awesome people watching.
• The Keralan backwaters. Coasting through the leafy foliage in the sleep backwaters while drinking WAY too much and listening to good music. Awesome tiems!!!
• Wandering through ruins and temples and monuments. My favourites were the ruins and temples in Orchha and the Taj Mahal (obviously).
• The parades in Pushkar... So full of life and colour and EVERYONE in the town gets involved! I didnt reallly like the selling of the religion thing but atleast they celebrated and worshipped more than they sold.
• Traditional Rajastani dance in Pushkar. It was so amazing! All the slight head and eye movements and how everything was so precise and practiced. Also the part of it where the men seemed to be posessed by some crazy spirit that made them go crazy. SO AWESOME!

So many amazing moments and life lessons. I am so thankful for all of my amazing friends and family members and my wonderful life that I have. I am also very thankful for Canada and that my country treats everyone equally and with compassion.

So I'm in Bangkok and I am definitely happy to be here. Things are definitely more expensive here but the quality is much better and everything is heaps easier so its kind of refreshing although everything does seem a little lacklustre.

an india snapshot

your computer will always either have a shitty keyboard that feels like 10 drinks have been spilled on it, the slowest internet connection possible or a monitor that flikers and hurts your eyes

everyone AND I MEAN EVERYONE wants to talk to me here... its not endearing it is straight up annoying. I had to tell this guy today named (your going to love this ) "ricky martin" that i didnt want to talk to him and i didnt want to be his friend. he followed me for about half an hour...

All indian men think about is sex... and they do not understand that me and Natahna are just friends... they often make lude gestures and references to me which needless to say i find in bad taste.

blackouts/brownouts are frequent and make it difficult and frustrating to write emails/ride ferris wheels (yes there are ferris wheels where i am and yes they are questionable)

100 kilometers takes 4 hours on the bus and 3 hours on the train 2 hours on express train. dont ask how long 400 kilometers takes, its a sore subject

everyone blatently stares at you, right at you, all the time... it bothers natahna but i just stare right back, sometimes i take pictures of them staring at me, i'm starting a collection.

Since I last wrote i have been to the Taj Mahal and seen sooooo many temples. Me and Natahna have been having a blast!!! Tomorrow is Holi which is a festival where everyone throws coloured paint at eachother. Wont be wearing my Sunday best.

Would like to say HAPPY BirThdAY dad!!! Thanks for being born!

Have booked my return flight to bangkok for the 19th should be home within a month after that.

not a lot of time right now, will write more soon! bye!!!