London

I am back, well almost. Im staying a few days in London before I fly home to Norway. I arrived in London yesterday after a loooong trip from India through Kuwait (4 hours waiting there). I arrived at my friends flat about 7 pm last evening and this morning at 6.30 am I came with them to their office to help them with some work. I was pretty tired, but it is nice having something to do. Its very strange being back. I don't think I have really understood it yet!?

Back in Delhi for the last time

Heyyy! Im back in Delhi again! I came yesterday afternoon after 36 hours on the train from Goa. The train trip was a fun though. For once I was not alone, but travelling with Andreas, also from germany (the Germans must travel a lot, I always seem to meet Germans?!) I met Andreas after a few days in Arambol and after that I did not even have time to update my travel diary. We had a fantastic time there :)

We explored some great places and even made a small bonfire one evening, on which we tried to make home baked bread! It was maybe not extremely successful, but still very fun!

I also had a bad experience with dogs in Arambol. One night when I came back to my room 3 dogs surrounded me. Of course I panicked a little and tried to move away. Then I felt one dog bite into my leg. Luckily it was not too hard, it just scratched the skin, but it made some nasty blue marks and I was very sore. The owner of the guesthouse told me to take a tetanus shot in case of rabies, which I did, but apparently the dog did not have rabies so I should be fine. Not a very nice experience though.

Anyway, I don't think I will write much more the coming days. Im going back to London in a week and then to Norway after a few more days. Im both sad and happy about going home now. But the trip has been a really good experience, both good and bad. I think India is the most paradoxical country to travel in. Some people say you either end up hating or loving it, but I think I actually both hate and love it at the same time!

Well I guess this is it then, I haven't been very good at updating the diary the last month, but some experiences are not always possible to write about and some things are too personal, but I hope it has been interesting enough for those who cared to read it. Even though it might sound a bit negative at times. Namaste!

Arambol (Gujarat crisis)

Arambol






Anjuna

Lots of bad things are happening in Gujarat at the moment. More than 400 people have been killed in riots. There were even some riots in the main cities of Goa on Friday. I was booked to go to Hampi (10 hours inland from Goa) on the nightbus yesterday, but because of all the instability in different parts of the country I abandoned that idea.

Instead I shifted up to Arambol, a small village by the beach about 1,5 hours north of Vagator. I think it is the safest spot at the moment. Got here yesterday afternoon, a very laid back place and nice atmosphere. Since it is the end of the season, its not very crowded either.

There is one thing I have not mentioned before because I thought it was just a few rare incidents, but now it has happened too many times to be ignored. I seem to bump into the weirdest most eccentric people all the time and they tend to be German (whatever that might indicate?!) The first one was a German man in Gokarna. He had travelled through South America on his own. For 3 days this was all he talked about, how he had felt like the main person in Joseph Konrad's "Into the darkness" and how he wanted to write a book about this trip. I mean its ok to mention this, but this was all he talked about for 3 days ! Its is a little bit odd, no?
He almost even latched onto me when I decided to move from Gokarna. I had to pretend I didn't know where I was going, we went to take the same train to Goa, but in the confusion with all the people on the platform, I managed to jump into another carriage, so he didn't realize at which station I jumped off.

I also met a couple of other Germans who were also going on and on about their troubles What is their problem? Im not a bloody psychologist?

Anyway, then when I got here yesterday I met a Scottish woman, a nun. She was very nice and we went for a swim on the beach. Then she started telling me how she could see God's energy. When she was a kid she had gotten this gift to heal people. One night she had a vision of all these naked African people standing around her bed and she then realized she had a special mission to perform, to help all the unfortunate in the world. So she is travelling for almost 10 months of each year trying to help people. She even went to Tibet and also have met the Dalai Lama. She told me she had cured many people. She really had some amazing stories to tell.I don't really know what to make of all this though, but I really think she was telling some kind of truth truth, so it was really interesting to meet her, but I mean she was definitely not the average person!

Then this afternoon when I walked out of my room I bumped into my neighbour. He was also German, after talking for a few minutes I got the feeling that even he is a bit troubled. He had spendt all day in his room because he had problems with some dreams that came to him when he was awake. I don't know, maybe I am weird too from other peoples viewpoint? Its just a bit funny how I seem to attract these people? I am almost becoming wary of talking to people now in case they start rambling on about their problems/visions/dreams or whatever?!
Well, nevermind, it definitely makes my days interesting and some of them are also very friendly people - at least the scottish nun!