Gokarna - the last two weeks

The last two weeks at an idyllic beach with not many tourists - in the south of India.
Relax. Get some sun. Think about the past 6 months. And getting ready to go home. This was my plan and it worked out even better than I had thought.
I met even in these last two weeks a few really interesting people and had some really good conversations amongst others with two german tibetian monchs who stayed at the same beach.
I realised how much I have learned in these 6 months. How much I have seen and how everything seems to be how I hoped it would be and even a lot better.
This trip actually changed me a little in a very good way. I knew that could happen, but I wouldn't have thought, it is so obvious and noticible to me.

Here are some pictures from Gokarna and then there is one more post to come, where I try to compare Ghana, Nepal and India in various aspects. But this might take a few more days, if not weeks, depending on how much time and motivation I have to do it. :-)

One thing I learned for sure and want to tell everyone: Travelling is the best! Alone, with other people, voluntary services or just travelling for itself, what ever way, it's great and this won't be the last time that I've "explored" a little part of the world. :-)))
Livia's Journey isn't over yet. :-P

A few beaches on the way to our beach 'Half moon'

Half moon beach

Watching the sunset

Some chess in the evening

Another nice beach next door

Agra, Varanasi and Mumbai 2.0 - Slums!

First of all my route in the north of India:

And this was my route all together:

Agra is a huge city. It's supposed to be ugly and expensive. Therefore I planned to come in the evening of the 7th, sleep, go early to the Taj Mahal and then leave in the evening of the 8th to Varanasi. Worked out perfectly and Giani, who I met in Pushkar, joined me. To the Taj, during the day, chilling in Agra on a rooftop, taking more pics of the Taj and then also going to Varanasi.

This was my beautiful deluxe hotel room in Agra:

I forgot to take pictures of the most "beautiful" parts of the room - under the "matrass", the "windows" and behind the bed... :D

Giani and a police guard in Agra:

Such a good picture! :D

We reach Varanasi in the morning after the interesting train ride in general class (remember the post Indian Railway).
'Kumiko' is our new japanese hostel after quite a long search.
A boat ride, enjoying some good food, watching the everyday evening ceremony at the Ganges, having one of India's best Lassis..... and the three days in Varanasi are already over.

Huge Langur monkey chillin' on a motorbike

Evening ceremony

The Ganges

Child labour?

Dead bodies get burned here

At 12 o'clock, the 12th of february we arrive in Mumbai. (Back down south again, because my stay in India is about to end and I wanted to stay the last days at the beach in the south.)

So it is Mumbai 2.0. This time I actually like it more, maybe because this time I get to see the slums, which are more interesting than I had even thought.

Unfortunately it's not allowed at all to take pictures and we didn't want to try. Instead we took that opportunity putting the cameras away and only using our own eyes at least once during the travels. (Even though I really enjoy playing the photographer. :-P)

No pictures, but I'll tell you breavely about the slums.

First of all two facts from the Lonely Planet:

60% of Mumbai's population lives in the slums and the annual turnover of business (export) from the biggest slum 'Daravi' is over US$650 million.

There are slum tours, but Giani and I decided to have a look on our own:

A lot of small paths framed by houses a few floors high, that look like they are about to break down. The ground of the paths consists of trash and mud. Small entrances to the flats and on the other side the families' businesses. Tailors, barbers, restaurants, snack shops, bakeries and so many different trades. A whole world is in there.Often your nose catches an ugly smell in one moment and then a very nice one the next moment from somebody cooking. Giani and I sit down after half an hour walking at a small restaurant to get a chai. We start talking to two men sitting at the table next to us. Both business men working outside the slums. They tell us it's about time for the muslims to pray (around 1pm), we should have a look at the streets.

In fact, suddenly thousands of men come on the street, everyone with the white small cap on their head and a carpet or plastic tarp to pray on. All streets fill up. More and more. Almost no space to walk anymore. Young and old men. Fathers with their sons and grandfathers with their sons and grandsons. Everyone facing towards Mecca, praying on their carpet or tarp for those who don't have the money for a carpet. (Sorry if I'm not using the right words for carpet and the caps they're wearing!)

This scene was amazing to watch.

"Where do the women pray?" "At home or not at all."

Unfortunately after one and a half hour we have to go to catch our overnight train in the afternoon. But the slums are definitely worth it to have a look at. Who ever comes to Mumbai shouldn't miss this. I really wanted to stay some longer, because it's like a different world and one and a half hour is not enough time.

But well.. we really had to go and again even almost missed the train, but in the end still got in. Now we're both going even more south, but Giani gets out at Goa, Madgaon and I get out at Gokarna, a town beneath Goa, where there is supposed to be a very nice beach as well.

4am. "The train is delayed enough. It'll be bright, when you arrive in Gokarna. No problem for you to get out there on your own. We're in Madgaon. I need to get out. Safe travels!"

A kiss on my cheak wakes me up. "Wait, what?" I see him turned around getting out of the train. Hmm.... I keep on sleeping.

One thing you have to learn, while travelling "alone", is to say goodbye. Even though I often just spend one or two weeks with the people I travel with, it's everytime again a kind of sad goodbye.

At 6am I get out at Gokarna Road station. The last part of my journey starts now.