Khao San commerce (by Joe)

We spent an evening recently in the heart of the backpacker area of Bangkok, Khao San Road (see above - the bright lights).

Though not really what you'd describe as seedy, it is aggressively commercial with hundreds of bright signs advertising bars, tattoo services, restaurants and shops. There are also masses of street vendors, hawkers and hustlers.

We went to a bar and sat at a street side table. For a bit of fun, we took a portrait picture of everyone who approached us trying to sell, within a ten-minute period.

Results as follows:

Joe

(P.S. being a light touch - and having had a bit of fun - I bought a small wrist bangle from the last lady).

Poisoned!! (by Joe)

Having survived India for 6 weeks without a hiccup (so to speak), I was a little miffed when, only 48 hours after arriving in Bangkok, I came down with a bout of food poisoning.

It's going to happen from time to time, and frankly it wasn't a bad case by any means.

However, having considered the evidence and eliminated various potential culprits from our enquiries, we have now identified a leading suspect:

Joe

Greetings from funky town (by Joe)

... where breaks, fat baselines and cool beats are always playing, where floppy haired young Thai dudes scoot around on their mopeds, where everyone plays guitar, and where attractive young Thai girls dance till dawn with the city’s visitors, and appear to do an awful lot of shopping in trendy malls.

Bangkok is slick, young, affluent, broadband-modern and quirky-cool. There's plenty to do during the day with impressive temples and palaces to see, but it is at night that it comes alive, with trendy bars, clubs, restaurants and night markets (see below/ left - funky dude ).

It is lively, and in places a bit gaudy. Yet, contrary to reputation, we haven’t found it desperately seedy - or not most of it anyway. For the tourist with money, it's a fantastic playground. It is funky town.

The city is incredibly well set up for visitors. Arriving at the stunning (new) airport you are slickly whisked through immigration (visa on arrival) and sped into city centre on smooth modern air-con buses.

The streets are very clean with smart modern taxis (again, all air-con). The hotel is basic and cheap but very comfy and (again) very clean, with a nice outdoor bar and restaurant. There are further nice bars and restaurants all around the nearby area.

We stayed in some nice enough places in India, but this is on a different level.

Everywhere understands the tourists and their tastes, and is well set to deal with them ... but, of course that includes the con-artists and hustlers, too.

The hustlers here can be pretty aggressive - Laura had some pretty serious hassle on a trip around a temple, and on only our second day we were targets of a fairly sophisticated scam which attempted to take us on a tuk-tuk ride of the city and then dump you at an out of town factory – return ride only for those who buy tourist tat at exorbitant prices. We (happily) skipped out of the sting, but hearing conversations in tourist bars, we clearly got away better than some.

Other scams and hussles, such as the sale of fake train and bus tickets, are widespread.

Bangkok: it is funky town and we’ve had a good time - but funky town doesn't come without some serious hustle.

Below - an example of 'quirky cool' - a boys loo sign in trendy shopping mall, which we both found amusing.

Joe

Incredible India (by Joe)

As anyone who has been reading the blog can tell, we've had a fantastic time in India, finding it stimulating, challenging and endlessly fascinating.

Above all, we have found the people consistently mild-mannered, polite, hospitable, charming and genuinely interested in visitors. There remains a great 'connection' between Indians and the British. Far from being bitter towards us as former exploiters of their country, Indians across the country appear to retain a broadly positive view of Britain, the Raj and what it gave India. We also naturally share many similarities in culture as a result of British colonialisation (such as law, education, values, humour, and social 'charms' and 'graces' - there is also, of course, cricket).

India is fascinating visually, with bright colour everywhenre you look in sarees, in fruit stalls, spice markets and bazaars. To European eyes it is also full of weird and wonderful sights such as the people, hectic transport, animals in the streets and camels and carts. It is a photographer's dream (see blog below for ten of our favourite photos).

India is hugely diverse. From the Himalayan foothills, through the Rajasthani desert to the Goan beaches, we have seen massive variation in culture, people, climate and landscape. Contrasting Delhi and Mumbai, we have also seen how the cities vary in character. We have only seen a few of India's many regions, yet recognise that politically, socially, linguistically and religiously (as well as geographically) it is more of a 'United States of India' than a single nation.

We have loved the food, which is also diverse. It is rich, sophisticated and colourful. We have both eaten vegetarian throughout the trip yet still had terrific variety. We suspect we will be eating and appreciating Indian food far more when we return to the UK.

India has masses of history. The ancient history of forts, palaces and temples are in every region. Yet, for us, the recent history of the Raj and colonialisation has been one of the most interesting recurring themes.

Yet India is changing rapidy, so for us it has been as much about the fascinating current and the future than the history: rapid economic growth, social evolution, urbanisation, widespread use of technology, increased social mobility, the rise of mass media, marketing and advertising practices, a booming consumer culture, increased investment from multinationals, and rapid growth in tourism. These seem to us some of the key factors currently shaping the country.

Despite the growth, India remains incredibly cheap for western travellers.

But there is a darker side to India, and features which could prove too great a challenge for some visitors:The wealth divide is enormous; there remains terrible poverty across the country and begging is widespread (with tales of children being systematically maimed by gang masters to increase their begging potential). Cities are also heavily polluted; there is much visible litter; the sewage infrastucture appears non-existant in certain places; animals roam the streets; malaria remains widespread and there is much illness and physical deformity.

Good, bad and ugly, we have found it all fascinating.

The Indian tourist board's strapline is 'Incredible India'. It is spot on.

Joe

India - a photographer's dream (by Joe)

With the fantastic light, bright colours and fascinating sights everywhere you look, we have really enjoyed a bit of amateur photography in India.

Just wanted to give a note of thanks to Malcolm (my former boss) who bought our excellent digital camera for us as a wedding present. It's been just about our most prized possession on the trip.

Having now left India and arrived in Bangkok, here's ten of my favourite photos of India.

Many thanks, Malcolm - your present has ensured we will keep some great memories.

From below: Agra kids/ Tibetan flags in north India/ a view of the Himalayan foothills / colourful turban in Rajasthan / Laura and the Taj/ kids in Bundi/ Goan sunset / Rajasthani ladies / Cricket in Mumbai / me and Diwali decorations in Delhi

Joe

Snapshots - meet Mr N.S. Nagpal (by Joe)

This is Mr N.S. Nagpal.

He is 64 and owns a small restaurant near the airport in Mumbai (formerly Bombay).

Mr Nagpal was born in a small town in what is now Pakistan in 1943. His family left there in 1947 when the Indian empire was split by the British into India and Pakistan at the end of the Raj (the split, a time of mass migration marked by widespread ethnic and religious violence, is known as 'partition').

As Sikhs, his parents feared for their future in Muslim Pakistan, and arrived in Bombay (on a train from Lahore) as penniless refugees.

Mr Nagpal has built his restaurant business over the past 40 years. He is concerned about increasing competition from newer restaurants, but is greatly encouraged by major plans to expand the nearby airport. He is confident the development will increase the value of his property.

Mr Nagpal says he believes "all success begins with sound finances" and that India (and Mumbai specifically) will grow strong "now that the country has a highly educated Sikh with a financial background" as Prime Minister. He thought it 'very smart' that I had married an accountant.

Mr Nagpal believes it crucial that India is strong politically and economically. He says "it is very good that India is making friends with Mr Bush and Mr Blair."

He sees, on balance, the Raj and British colonialism as a good thing. Although he says the British 'took a lot for themselves', they left India with 'good laws', 'good education', 'proper' transport (the railways) and 'cricket'.

Mr Nagpal asked us about Hounslow and how successful Sikhs are viewed in England.

Mr Nagpal has three sons. They have all followed him into the restaurant business. He is proud of them. However, as a final word of advice, he suggests we should have fewer than three children.

"They are very expensive" he says. "Why carry three bags when you could carry just one?"

Joe

Cricket in India (by Joe)

I am a major crickt fan, so the popularity of the game in India was aways a big draw for me to come here.

Cricket is not quite played on every street corner as is often said (see top - a game in the park), but it is extremely popular. I've loved that - talking about the game, debating the merits and temperaments of various players with people who are equally enthusiastic.

If I've ever felt in any way uncomfortable with Indians we've met (not that I have especially), I've been able to elicit a warm smile simply by raising a thumb and uttering the words 'Sachin Tendulkar', 'Mahindrasingh Dhoni' or 'Rahul Dravid'.

It is said that the 1983 cricket World Cup, won by India, was a key moment in developing the game. Government investment followed, as politicians and the general population alike identified a sport at which India could dominate the world and so provide a focus for national pride and cohesion.

There is much that cricket in India has in common with football in England. It is the number one sport gaining massive publicity on TV, in newspapers and in people's discussions. Cricket stars such as Dhoni, Tendulkar and Dravid are hailed as stars and heroes in ads and media across the country (see left).

Yet, as with footy in England, we have noted more than a hint of disillusionment with the game and its stars.

This is understandable: the enormously high star status of the players raises equally high expectations, so any failure in performance or dip in form is scrutinised in conversations, on the television and in newspaper 'leader' editorials - "we are told and accept that these men are heroes, 'India's champions', so how can they fail - how could the team be beaten?" So goes the thinking.

After failures there follow suspicions about players' commitment - as to whether all the money and endorsements have led them (literally?) to take their eyes off the ball. All of this piles (unhealthy) pressure on the players and can create a difficult culture to breed real confidence and greater success.

There are also issues around the structure of the game. Organised cricket (as opposed to informal street cricket) remains a game of the relatively wealthy. So despite India's huge population (1 billion +), the pool of athletes that selectors draw from is far far more limited (see left - an organised cricket net session). With the stakes so high, selection for regional and national teams, as well as the general management and administration of the game is highly political.

Football, requiring less kit and equipment to play, is growing in popularity across the country, especially amongst poorer Indians. Slickly produced highlights' packages of games from Europe are shown widely on television and European football team shirts are seen widely.

Cricket still remains well ahead as the national sport and the Indian team continues to perform 'reasonably' on the world stage.

However one suspects that to retain its status, Indian cricket needs soon to match on the field, the enormous expectations that continue to be built up off it.

Below - a street seller from whom I bought the India cricket t-shirt (100 rupees), holds up his prize picture of him with Sachin Tendulkar.

Joe

Snapshots - meet Simon (by Joe)

This is Simon Fontein.

He is 24 years old and from Belgium.

He has fallen on his feet at a beach bar in Goa, where he came to stay after travelling India for 2 months. The bar owner offered him and his friend a free beach hut for six weeks if they played guitar during the evenings.

He's been playing guitar since he was 10 and covers a wide range of music. During the days he hangs out at the bar jamming and taking the occasional dip in the sea.

In Belgium, he works a fundraiser for Greenpeace ("... to make the money to go travelling").

Tonight, he and his friend are the star attraction at a party at the bar for the launch of a new beer in the area. It's unfortunate, but we'll miss that as we have to get back to Mumbai.

Joe

Snapshots - meet Vikki (by Joe)

This is Vikki.

He works in our beach bar/ hotel in Palolem, Goa.

This is his first season working in Goa. He is from Mumbai and left his wife and two sons there whilst he came south to find work for 6 months.

He used to work in IT sales in Mumbai. "The money satisfied, but the work didn't" he says, and he had to work long hours (8am - 8pm). Though he misses his family he much prefers working on the beach.

He is 32 and his birthday is 12th September (the day before Laura's).

His English is reasonably good and he has a very (very) mild character. Despite (or perhaps in part because of) the occasional slip up with our food and drink orders, we've grown very fond of him.

Joe

India: the FD is happy (by Joe)

India is cheap.

The exchange rate is 100 rupees to the pound, but actual spending power is about 10 times that.

So, for example:

- Bottle of coke in a bar = 20 rupees = 20pence (= 2 pounds)
- Nice meal out = 300 rupees = 3 pounds (= 30 pounds)
- Cheap accommodation = 200 rupees = 2 pounds (20 pounds)
- Very nice accommodation = 1000 rupees = 10 pounds (= 100 pounds)
- Cheapish t-shirt = 100 rupees = 1 pound (= 10 pounds)

You can obviously spend a lot of money in India if you wanted to (and had it!) - there's no shortage of exclusive hotels, for example. However you can live very comfortably in reasonable accommodation, eating out well and travelling for around 250 pounds a month per person. We've been able to live below budget.

Top - a happy FD
Below - a happy FD makes for a happy MD

Joe

Goan sunsets (by Joe)

As Laura's blog explains below, we have slightly mixed feelings about Goa. That said, it is undoubtedly very very beautiful and I've had a lot of easy gratification taking pictures of sunsets, which are an amateur photographer's dream.

Below- various Goan sunsets
Bottom - an amateur photographer of middle-aged appearance prepares for work in the late afternoon at Cafe del Mar, Palolem.

Joe

Behind the beach (by Laura)

Goa has provided a complete change of pace, colour and culture on this trip.

The beaches and inland regions are undeniably beautiful and the people, as ever, are warm and hospitable.

We've tried to see a little of north and south, which in themselves have completely different characters.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, after weeks of so much diversity and stimulation, Goa at first seemed a little bland and less 'raw' than our experiences of previous weeks. The people we met, though charming, have also seen so much of western culture and tourism, that our chats with them seemed to lack the energy we'd felt in other places.

The way in which the state is run and the government's approach to the increasing levels of tourism is perhaps the most fascinating aspect.

North Goa, with the main tourist resorts of Baga and Calangute and then the notorious villages of Anjuna and Vagator (big hippy and party scenes for years), seems to have become a bit of a focus for the Goan government. They are apparently trying to attract the more affluent holiday-maker (we backpackers are tight with our money) and so clamping down on the party scene. We visited one bar (only allowed to open from 6-10pm) where there were police with guns lined up outside the door and they sent sniffer dogs round half way through the evening- hardly conducive to enjoying your sunset beer.

Of course there are still cows, as the place would just feel strange without them.

Arriving in Palolem in the south (see right), we noticed a huge amount of construction going on and presumed it was due to the ever-increasing popularity of the place. In fact, it turned out that everyone was simply in the process of reconstructing the bamboo 'coco huts', which line the beach, in preparation for the new season - the government obliges the hotels to take them all down at the end of every season and then build them again, requiring new licences to be granted. This seems incredibly labour intensive and expensive for business (I'm not aware of any subsidy that the businesses receive).

Presumably the political motivation is a mixture of wanting to keep the place from becoming over-developed like the north and losing its feel, as well as the guaranteed annual income this provides for the government. They certainly seem to be micro-managing the future of the area.

It does, however, make you admire the industry of the people who work here and also means that every beach hut resort and restaurant is continually innovating and keeping up with the Joneses. It's a beautiful spot.

Laura

Fruit stalls and food sellers (by Joe)

A recurring colourful feature of our travels have been the food, drink and fruit-sellers who approach you at every train or bus stop and who set out their stalls throughout town centres.

Chai and coffee is generally served pre-mixed with milk and sugar (see top - the guys at a bus stop in Rajasthan) and hot drink sellers invariably call out 'chai - coffee - chai' in similar tones to English market barrow boys or Evening Standard sellers as they approach.

As you'd imagine, much of the snacking food is, catering to local tastes, very spicy.

We've tried a few bits and bobs, but have been cautious not to overindulge for fear of stomach upsets. It's all very very cheap and with the good looking food on display (especially the fruit), resisting has not always been easy.

Left - guys selling sweets and candy
Right - Laura resisting temptation in Mumbai
Below - another super fruit stall

Joe

Mumbai - city of aspiration (by Joe)

We visited Mumbai (formerly Bombay) for about 36 hours (one night) en route from Rajasthan to Goa. We saw only the wealthy and well-heeled city centre (not the large slums which are home to some 12 million people), - but we were very impressed.

Mumbai is a very important Indian city. Formed as a port in the 17th century by the Portuguese and British from several islands on the West coast, it has evolved into India's commercial capital. It is also the centre of the Bollywood film, fashion, media and advertising industries (so contemporary culture). It has a tropical climate, impressive buildings, long coastal promenades and open spaces for cricket (see right).

The centre is much cleaner than Delhi and, being relatively new, well organised. The sea breeze also accounts for fresher air which clears the pollution (smog sits heavy over Delhi).

There is less rubbish, fewer free-roaming cattle, fewer pigs and endless smart black and yellow taxis, rather than the usual mix of rickshaws and auto rickshaws (see Laura in front of a rank of taxis - left/ below).

What we liked most of all though, was the sense of confidence in the people of Mumbai. Whilst, wealthy or poor, they were polite (as they have been everywhere we've gone), there was not the strong sense of deference which we have experienced elsewhere.

We liked that - these felt like confident people, people with ambition, people who truly believed in the future, that it was theirs, and that they were going forward to get it.

Drawing hundreds of thousands of migrants from across India every year, Mumbai is a city of aspiration.

Whilst the vast majority will never achieve their dreams, Laura and I agreed it must be an electric place to live.

Joe

Indians just love the camera 2 (by Joe)

Some more pictures of Indians who have proactively approached me to take their pictures.

We were very amused by this bloke (top) who apprached me in an extremely jocular manner and insisted I take his picture.

He sat down, carefuly tidied his hair and then, turned to face the camera with the extremely serious/ deadly look he is showing.

I showed it to him and suggested we might do it again if he liked, but he seemed extremly pleased with it, returned immediately to his jocular self, shook my hand and walked off. Most amusing!

Right - cricket kids, Mumbai

Below- kids in Bundi

Joe

India's rubbish (by Joe)

No, not that it is rubbish (it's fantastic, actually), but it does have a lot of rubbish .... or at least visible rubbish.

Whereas in Europe, we hide rubbish in bins, throw it into out-of-town tips and bury it in landfill sites for future generations to deal with, India appears to have very little in the way of organised refuse disposal. In virtually every town we have visited, rubbish lies piled up on the streets, at bus stops, railways stations and in squares for scavenging cattle, pigs, dogs (and even humans) to root through.

Some efforts are being made. Mumbai city centre, for example, was relatively clean and there was evidence of organised refuse disposal. A law has also recently been passed which means food and drink sold on parts of the railway network must be sold in bio-degradable containers - so tea, for example is sold not in plastic or polystyrene, but in simple, cheaply produced clay cups - and hot food in (banana?) leaves (see left - a pile of biodegradable refuse).

However even on the railways there are exemptions for certain 'packaged' food types - which means that, for example, Lay's crisps (Walkers in the UK) continue to appear in their colourful and salient plastic packages.

The bio-degradable initiative may be worthy, but with increasing use of packaged consumables invariably accompanying economic growth, you can't help feel India is fighting a rising tide.

Joe