I'm just letting you know that the trash, noise, congestion, touts, rude Indians and general chaos of a developing nation where most people are very poor is not unique to Varanasi. Goa may be different. idk. I never went to Goa because it sounded awful to me, but I can assure you that the rest of the country is just as crowded, hectic and filthy as the place you either just left or are about to leave.

TigerAir tho


Maybe base in Kuala Lumpur instead?

Will tell you but I do think that this is more typical to north India and that south India might be more laidback with less hassle and congestion.

You can use the blog picture link to post them here.

doesnt work

there's a ] too many after [IMG]

oh thanks !

Arriving in Goa

"if you take this red pill, you won't need to go to the toilet anymore. It will create a powerful block. But beware ! Take it if only really needed because it is really potent".

***

When I woke up I was happy that I could leave Bénarès. 9 days there, and moreover being sick, had been more than enough and I was feeling bored as hell.

The week had been awful because of my dysentria and I couldn't wait to go to some better place.

At first, the plan was to go to Agra to visit the Taj Mahal and then take some others trains to visit the Rajasthan.

No need to tell you that sick as I had been, taking some 13 to 15 hours train rides was not an option.

"Finally I'm gonna stick with my first idea. I'm gonna go to Goa", was my thought when I started to feel a bit - and I really said "a bit" - better.

Looking at some websites I couldn't find a flight ticket cheaper than 157€. It sucked, because it was an unexpected expense. But I had no choice : it was either that or take a 13h train ride while feeling weak, drained and still a bit sick.

I went to the hotel reception and thanked the manager for his help. Without him bringing me to the hospital I don't know where I would be now.

Then I went back to my room to get my things. I hesitated for quite a while but eventually took that red pill. My main concern was to unwillingly poop in the tuc-tuc, at the airport, in the plane, or at any moment during this trip.

So alongside with my others medics and with no hesitation, I took it.

The tuc tuc arrived at 8am and after saying goodbye to the hotel manager, I followed him through the narrow lanes of Bénarès. A feeling of relief not to deal anymore in the future with them. I dodged my last cow ****s and couldn't be happier not to have to deal with them anymore.

I got inside the tuc-tuc, he put the contact on, and we drove to the airport.

A tuc tuc is not comfortable. You have not a lot of space, your back is not well maintained and the sitting area is lame. But it's cheaper than a taxi. "Don't take taxis in India, take tuc tuc instead" said to me the 2nd hotel manager that I met a couple of days after I arrived. Didn't forget the hint.

1 hour later we were at the airport. I paid 650 Rs and headed inside. For the moment, all had been good so far : no will to poop. I crossed my fingers that it would be likewise until I got to Goa.

Nothing fancy to relate regarding my trip. It was long, boring, and tiring. I first got a plane from Bénarès to Delhi. 2,5 hours ride roughly. Then 2 hours layover which was boring as hell. Finally, a last flight from Delhi to Goa. 2 hours again.

When I arrived at Goa airport it was 5pm. My first flight to Bénarès was at 10:50 am. I told you, it was long, boring, and tiring.

It was VERY hot there, way more than in Bénarès ! And obviously not the same kind of heat. Dry in Bénarès, wet in Goa.

Lots of taxis waiting and to my surprise the price to go from there to my destination was pretty expensive.

- 1500 Rs !
- No, too expensive, I replied
- Go and see the prepaid taxis and you'll come back to me..

I went to those prepaid ones and indeed the man told me that I would have to pay 2000 Rs. I disagreed and waited a bit. Two others men came to me and announced me "1700 Rs". Damn, that first taxi driver was right !

I went back to him but on the way someone else came.

- taxi ?
- how much, I replied with no hope in the voice.
- 1500 Rs !
- That's what the other proposed me.

But then I realized that the first one wasn't a taxi but a tuc tuc whereas this second driver was a taxi, which means higher speed and more comfort.

Still, I threw a :
- C'mon you can do better and I go with you.
- Ok 1400 Rs !
- Let's go ! I replied

I thought that the ride would be quite quick. Something like 20 minutes. Instead we drove for 1 hour and fifteen minutes. Still no wish to poop, that red pill was damn potent, but a big big fatigue because of all those rides.

Whereas the ride from Varanasi airport to the city had been a disappoint because of the awful landscape, nothing likewise here. Quickly palmtrees and lush surroundings, I was on another world from the Noth. It was beautiful and exactly what I wanted (and needed).

We spoke quite a while with the taxi driver and it was nice. I love to socialize with cabs, you learn a lot from the city you're visiting and this is usually a nice first approach of the place.

At 6:30pm it started to get darker here since the sunrise is pretty early in those countries and we kept on driving by night. Traffic had nothing to do with how hellish it is at Bénarès and I understood that life would be way more laid back here.

- Would you move out of Goa ? I asked
- Why would I do that ? It's so cool here ! I would never go anywhere else !

I love when locals speak this way about their hometown. Usually it reveals its high quality.

At 7:20pm finally he dropped me at my hotel, a very nice one right on the beach and the nice welcome from the sounds of the waves was thrilling.

After saluting the owner of the place I went to my beach hut and dropped my thing. Took a shower, changed cloths and went back to the bar overlooking the Arabian Sea.

A nice music, some westerner eating right on the beach, and both a young female and middle aged man at the Bar.

- Hi, my name's James. What's your name ?
- Angelo
- Where are you coming from ?
- I've been in Bénarès for 9 days, sick as hell and glad to be here.
- I know the ****. Welcome here, you will rela don't worry.
- He's right, it's very cool over there. Oh, my name is aura, said the young lady.

We spoke for maybe 5 minutes and they both left (they were not together btw).

- So my friend, what can I do for you ? asked the barman and assistant manager of the place.
- I would kill for a Margarita.
- Please, enjoy a seat. Margarita on the way !

I sat down right in front of the sea. Smell of the sea and sounds of the waves in combo with the cool music, I felt relief. At last I could chill, at last I could forget those past 7 days of hell. Here I would be very well and I would be able to take some rest after quite a tough start.

I looked at the sky and it was beautiful :



At that very moment I knew that I was exactly where I was supposed to be.

So you choosed the red pill, interesting.

This is something I'm considering doing in the near future (on a much lesser scale obviously).

Gonna follow this and see what OP experiences.

So far he has experienced cow poop and then he high tailed it for the nearest beach community full of western tourists.

He also experienced his own poop

**** on the street? Lived through that and more for nearly 3 years in China.

Only there it was human ****.

That is a way to see things.

Another one would be to say say after getting both salmonella and dysentria, emptying myself and losing a significant amount of weight and energy, I didn't have the strenght to have 15 hours train ride in AC3.

I sleep in $9 rooms, I avoid hostels not to be only with westerners and do my best to socialize with indians.

A world travel is not (only) hiking in the himalaya, sleeping in the desert with no water, or being with snakes in a jungle. You taylor your world trip as you see fit and above all regarding to the circumstances.

I'm still hitting the road after I quit everything, there is no turning back and I'm condemned to succeed in this adventure.

Stop being a keyboard warrior Zik', you worth better than that.

I'm just trying to figure out why you're in India when you don't seem very interested in what the country has to offer. I'm not criticizing your travel choices, I'm confused by them. You spent 9 days in Varanasi and afaict you spent most of your (non-bedridden) time hanging out at the most distant and sparsely trafficked ghat you could find. What did you want from the city? Why did you go there?

I'm trying to give you good advice where I can, and so far I'm inclined to think that you are not going to be well served by challenging locations in developing countries. I really think you're going to be happiest somewhere in SE Asia or one of the non-Haitian Caribbean islands.

I went to Benares cause I wanted to see that peculiar city and Im glad that I did. I enjoyed some of it and disliked some others things. So because I disliked the main road and the lanes at some point it’s not a world travel anymore ? I have no right to dislike some parts of a city ?

Do you know at least that when I was there one day I spent a whole afternoon with an indian aromatherapist who taked to me about his work and how he was doing his own custom oils ? Even made a video interview of this guy that I will put online in the future.




Of course you don’t. Why ? Because I didn’t mention it in one of my articles. Don’t assume that you know everything of my world travel because of what you read in my articles. I share only what I want and there is no rule set in stone that everything of what I’m doing everyday is reported in my articles.
For your informations I had booked an AC3 train to Agra and a night to the Taj Plaza hotel. But I got too sick and had to cancel them both. Lost money besides the fact to get there.

Had to adapt to my health condition and riding for days on uncomfortable trains was not an option.

I was not going to make myself even more sick traveling in trains in such a weak state just to please you guys because struggling IS what a world trip is all about. This is bollock.

No rule say that you have to suffer when world traveling. Adaptation is key. Planned to go to the Rajasthan, got sick as hell, changed my plan, period.

I’m not betraying my world trip because I’m in Goa. Destination doesn’t matter, what does is the journey and you should know that better than anyone else here.

Looking forward to that Burma trip report and picture. Hope you get there before your visa expire.

I never really had interest in India

Depending on the weather I should go to Sri Lanka before heading to Burma. But the latter is on my list indeed

Angelo, play some poker there. Is it legal? Who are playing there? What stakes and so on. Do us a favor, we all kind of card players here on 2+2. Do a day of poker every place you'll be on your road. Think, in places like Goa your nittness will pay you off.

You might be right. I know that poker is allowed.in Goa.but I'm in the South part of.Goa.
I wonder if the casinos are not upper in the north. Still worth a check I guess.

this guy is making up all these stories. i saw him at a resort in corsica YESTERDAY. you were wearing a hat yesterday, right?? i saw him, dude. he's bull****ting

Learn from experience. As long as OP has a bailout plan in case traveling goes to **** for him, then he should go where he pleases and take the good with the bad.

he's proud that he has no fallback plan. most people would sublet their apartments but for some reason he needed his life savings completely liquid before the start of this trip

Well OP still have his Dad house. He bragged about his 500k savings, but then said his travel budget is around 20k to 30k.

He have no ''back up plan'' but he still own more money than I ever will. Do I need a backup plan? I think I do.

you still need to work out plan A