Fred's Daily Diary
This version of Fred's Diary 1981 was originally published on a daily basis from February 19th to July 26th 2015, to coincide exactly with the days Fred made his original trip 34 years previously.
It forms an interim edit of the original version from December 2013 ahead of the release of the second edition of Fred's Diary 1981 in October 2015.
If you would like to read the diary as it was originally published on the blog then you will need to read from the bottom of this page upwards. Alternatively you can read the monthly archives which are in chronological order.
It forms an interim edit of the original version from December 2013 ahead of the release of the second edition of Fred's Diary 1981 in October 2015.
If you would like to read the diary as it was originally published on the blog then you will need to read from the bottom of this page upwards. Alternatively you can read the monthly archives which are in chronological order.
Sunday July 26th
An Epilogue to Fred’s Diary (19/2-26/7/81)
Introduction
With this trip rapidly coming to a close I thought it would be useful to try and formulate a few thoughts and opinions on what I’ve achieved (or otherwise) in my five months or so back on the road. This summary can only express my feelings at the present time and is therefore in some ways only a reflection of my present mood (which is pretty good at the moment).
To be able to share my experiences with other people through these pages has given me great pleasure although at times I think I may have bared my soul a little too much. One last ‘apology’ before getting down to details. Having taken dexys to keep me awake tonight I trust that I can keep things concise and to the point. Please excuse any ‘wanderings’ (of both the brain and pen) as I try to express my views, feelings and hopes for the future.
Impressions on the different countries visited
The hand of fate seems to have been hovering in the background and giving the occasional push, which has meant that the whole trip turned into something completely different from what was originally intended.
Originally I had planned to tour only South-East Asia with the possibility of going to Australia and working acting as a light at the end of the tunnel. Fate played its hand at a couple of vital points in the trip so that in the end the direction I was to take was decided by forces outside of my control.
The following summary of countries I visited in the last five months is out of necessity only a short résumé:-
Hong Kong
A splendid introduction to my tour of Asia providing a mixture of conditions, some of which I could relate to from previous experience in the west and others providing an insight into a completely different way of life. My five weeks there gave me the chance to view a hectic, overcrowded and sometimes paranoid society.
The work I did as a T.V. extra gave me a little extra cash and a chance to try my hand at something very different. It was all great fun. Looking back at my original intention of working there I feel it would have been a bad mistake and am pleased that things didn’t work out as planned. The humidity, pace of work and competition would have turned me into a nervous wreck.
Thailand
My real regret here was that I didn’t really get the chance to see much of the country. Of my four weeks there, only six days were spent outside the law’s greedy clutches so I only saw a small part of the country and its people. My time in captivity was one hell of an experience which I don’t regret now it’s past history but then again it’s something I wouldn’t want to go through again.
India
One good thing about my Thai experience was that I got the chance to stopover in India on my ‘deportation’ ticket back to Europe. At first it was all a hell of a shock, especially due to the fact that I was only given two days’ notice before being plunged into the unknown.
My two months here have proved to be a real eye-opener with so many huge contrasts both in living standards and the people themselves. It is such a huge country that I feel my travels here have only scratched a little of the surface, leaving plenty more to see on subsequent trips. Next time I would like to see some of southern India i.e. Goa, Kerala, Madras & Sri Lanka.
Nepal
An overused phrase often quoted in connection with this country is that it is a fairy-tale place. It is indeed a lovely place and I had a very enjoyable five weeks there breathing in the incredible atmosphere produced both by the scenery and the people. The invasion, over the last twenty years, of western ideas has spoilt much of Nepal but there are still many areas which maintain their beauty and are relatively untouched by the taints of western civilisation. Hopefully some balance can be achieved to keep that special something which Nepal still has.
Health throughout the trip
Physically my condition has been generally good although a couple of illnesses gave me some worry about having contracted something serious. The most common complaints have been either to do with the stomach or the nose. The shits have been frequent but never too serious while the couple of colds I’ve had cleared up relatively quickly.
My medical insurance ran out after my first month in Hong Kong and I have been lucky that nothing serious has happened to me. If anything had, then I would probably have got the first available flight home. Having met many other travellers who have contracted either hepatitis or dysentery I feel that I have been very lucky.
On my return to England I’ll visit the Hospital for Tropical Diseases in London just to make sure I haven’t caught anything which hasn’t raised its ugly head yet. I was particularly lucky not to fall ill whilst in prison because of the lack of attention evident on the medical front there.
I have lost quite a lot of weight during this trip although I’m not certain now whether this occurred only in India and Nepal but I’m sure a substantial part did. When I left Frankfurt I was a sturdy 70 kilos (11 stone) which is a little overweight for me. On meeting Rita in Bombay I had dropped to 62 kilos (under 10 stone) but think I’ve recovered some of that due to all the breakfasts I ate whilst in Kashmir.
The only inoculation I had was against cholera and typhoid which has proved effective (I hope) and the malaria tablets I’ve been taking once a week have done their job. I must just remember to keep taking them for four weeks after I get back home.
Mentally I think my condition could be described as fairly stable although my senses have had to put up with quite a battering sometimes. I now feel better equipped to handle certain situations because of the many differing experiences I’ve been put through since the start of this trip.
It has been excellent writing this diary because it has provided an outlet for many ideas and problems which would otherwise have remained bottled up inside me. I’m sometimes still subject to bouts of depression but these seem to occur less often now and not in so much depth. On the whole I feel more content with life in general although how long that will last once I’m working again God only knows.
Keeping in touch
Communications by post to and from England & Germany have given me a vital link to what is happening back at home in Europe. On my side I have written regularly to Jan (sending her the originals of this diary), once a week to Rita before she came out (plus of course a couple of telegrams) and every couple of weeks to my mother.
Although the post seems to have been quite efficient from Hong Kong and Thailand taking only 4-7 days, it became very erratic in India and Nepal, sometimes taking three weeks to reach Europe. Incoming post also arrived at varying speeds and due to this a couple of letters (to my knowledge) have gone astray, which is always a shame.
Initially the letters from Rita were very depressing but later on they became more light-hearted again as her health recovered somewhat. Jan’s letters have always been fun and a pleasure to receive whilst travelling. With the return of Debby as well they got even bulkier which was even better.
My mother as always kept me informed on what was happening at home in her own beautiful way and Chris shocked me (but pleasantly) by writing for the first time in a couple of years. I think she must have sensed that something was wrong and her ideas really gave me something to work on, nice one Chris.
The only times communications broke down completely were when I was trying to meet up with people whom I’d met in Asia. The notable success was of course initiated by Graham, Sharon & Aja but that was the only one.
Post Restante in Asia has proved to be the most convenient way to receive mail although their efficiency sometime leaves a lot to be desired. Especially bad were those in Kathmandu and Srinagar where post was quite often mis-sorted and the system was open to all sorts of abuse. I much prefer a system where one has to produce identification to a responsible official rather than the slap-happy way in which letters are chucked about without accountability at both the above-mentioned places.
Telegrams proved to be efficient & cheap for urgent messages, taking only a day or two either way. Post is becoming more expensive in Asia but is still much cheaper than in Europe.
New things happening
As is of course normal, whilst away from Europe, many new things have been happening to friends and family. The following are some of the changes I’ve heard about whilst away, but I expect to hear many more once I’m home again.
Dawn Cottage has witnessed a couple of changes with various members of the family disappearing in different directions. My father is now in the Seychelles getting a new radio station off the ground. Ali is again travelling through Europe and may even have been in Frankfurt during July. Chris has been spending more time away from home as well, so that my mother has had to cope with a lot during the last few months.
In Frankfurt things haven’t stood still either. Jan moved into Pete’s new flat although that was of course on the cards when I left. They seem to make a great pair and hopefully things are still going well for them. From Jan’s letters it sounds so anyway.
It also sounds as though The Cottage will see some changes soon. The last I heard was that Bobby would join Murray and Eric in the firm running the Irish House at present, and that they would buy the lease on The Cottage, installing Bobby as manager there.
Fran & Beany have certainly made 1981 their year by firstly getting married, then finding a house and now producing a child into the bargain. I wish them all the happiness in the world. Debby & Philippe returned after a few months in Jamaica which they thoroughly enjoyed but were apparently unable to stay there as long as they would have liked.
Some sad news for Jim whose mother died, but from what I hear he seems to be alright if not naturally so then he’s putting on a good front. It must be absolute agony deep down. Other news includes the fact that Micky has now gone to the States while Colin was sighted by Debby whilst in Greece.
Changes within myself
This is something that I find very difficult to judge because Fred happens to be permanent company so I don’t notice the changes as much. It is easier for others to judge.
Rita thought I had changed very little during the five months we didn’t see each other, except maybe in becoming a little harder on the outside. The following are some of the ways in which I feel I’ve changed but I’m still finding out about myself so they may not seem relevant to anyone else.
My aims in life are still rather indistinct although the more I travel the easier it is not to worry about that. As I gain more experience I’m sure my confidence in myself becomes greater which must be a good thing. During this trip I’ve also learnt to become more broad-minded as I’ve had to adapt to the many different ways of life that exist, often side by side, in Asia.
This should be helpful in the future as it equips me better in my fight to accept people for what they really are, although I’ll still find it difficult not to laugh at the stupidity of the human race sometimes.
I’ve also discovered the fact that I do have some talents which I often don’t use as much as I should, such as my writing abilities which could be earning me extra money through articles for magazines or even a book.
Through my prison experience and also travelling in India I’ve learnt to appreciate the effects that corruption has on a society, affecting large sections of it. We have of course our own corrupt systems in Europe but nothing like those which exist in certain countries in Asia. Bribery does the talking, not justice.
I’ve also seen a lot of both the good and bad sides of the drug scene. In prison I witnessed the selfishness and hardship that heroin produces among its users and got warning enough never to abuse any drug to such an extent that it leads to destruction of my own personality.
During the trip I’ve also tried a couple of new things myself but most of the time I’ve stuck to the limits within which I know I can operate. I feel that I’ve learnt a lot, using hash and grass more to set me thinking and not just to get blasted all the time (although that’s happened a few times as well).
My desire for further education has returned this trip and whether I go to college for four years or simply learn another language my mind will soon be active in the learning (or rather educational) field again.
I am finding that I don’t dwell on past problems so much as I’m slowly learning the fact that you can’t change something that’s already happened, only modify it in some way. The present is the only time that really matters and the future is not worth too much worry although one does have to make tentative plans on which direction your life will take.
Quite often the decisions are made for us anyway so that our real choice is a very limited one. So why worry, what’s going to happen will more than likely happen whatever you do about it. This attitude, at least partly adopted by me, has led to a greater peace within myself than I’ve known for a long time.
Hopefully, like the massive reduction in how much I drink, this feeling will continue once I get back to work again. It’s very easy to revert to how one was before so I hope that I’m strong enough to hold onto some of the gains I’ve made. That is as long as those changes aren’t in reality an illusion.
I’m sure that there are many other things that I’ve learnt which affect the way I act and behave but as mentioned before it is not easy to see those changes within myself because I’m so close to them. I’ll let other people judge if they want to, it’s easier that way and life shouldn’t be complicated by too much self-analysis.
Money
My attitude towards the ‘root of all evil’ is a much more philosophical one after my experience in Thailand. It is still important and I will try to be a little more cautious in the future as regards investments but I don’t worry about it now as much as I used to. I have now used all of the money I took with me for this trip, just over five thousand marks, which under ‘normal’ circumstances in Asia could have lasted me another couple of months.
I still have some money in reserve although I don’t want to use too much of the gift my grandmother left me when she died. As it is I’ve dug into nearly a third of it leaving a little over £1000. I also have DM600 in Germany plus the stones which, if I can sell them, should fetch another DM300-400.
So no worries, I’m not bankrupt yet and if everything else fails I always have the job in the bank to go back to and provide me with a steady income so I can start saving again.
The Rita saga
Now this is a tough one. I find my own attitudes and feelings towards Rita are very difficult to understand so it must be even more difficult for others (including Rita) to know what’s going on.
Our relationship has become very involved after such a long time. Even though we’ve split a couple of times in the past it’s never easy to make a complete break. I know what should happen, but whether it does and we both have the strength to make a complete separation is another matter.
Enough said, only the future holds the answer and as I can’t read the future I’ve no idea what the outcome will be. The saga will no doubt produce a few more twists and turns before the end of the day. Whatever happens will surely be for the best, I hope so anyway.
What does the future hold?
As I mentioned in the previous section I cannot read the future but I do have a few clues as to what might happen to me in the next few months. The most drastic would of course be a return to college but any decision on that is out of my hands now and fate must make the next move.
Other options are rather limited due to the jobs crisis in Europe so if college doesn’t become a viable alternative then I may return to the bank for a year at least before taking off again. Other possibilities include getting a job on the black to get money quickly and be on the move again within four months.
The last possibility, if I discovered that I couldn’t handle Frankfurt again, would be to go for broke and grab my money (all of it) and head for Australia (via India, Sri Lanka, Malaysia and Indonesia) where I should be able to find some work. Much of what I’ve said about the Rita saga applies to this situation as well because there are so many unknowns hidden around the corner which may change my present ideas completely. Whatever happens I’m not going to worry about it unduly.
Footnote – The last day
Sunday July 26th
Spent all night writing the epilogue which I hope provides a useful insight into the way Fred thinks.
It is now 7-00 a.m. and the dexys are starting to wear off a little so I should sleep well on the flight back to Frankfurt. My right hand has taken a battering with all this writing so I’ll give it a rest now and on the plane, adding any other essential details upon my arrival in Frankfurt.
Thanks to all the writing I’ve done during the night, time has passed very quickly. Hopefully the flight won’t drag too much. Rita must already be well on the way home and after all the flying and hanging around she’ll be exhausted.
The flight was slightly delayed and didn’t leave Delhi until after 9-30 a.m.
I am now sitting at the S-bahn station in Frankfurt feeling really strange. Had a pretty uneventful flight although they fed us well with breakfast, lunch and after a stopover in Rome early afternoon, another snack.
Only managed to get a couple of hours sleep on the plane, so I dropped my last two dexys before going through customs so that I can see the evening through.
I will now head over to try and see Jan and Pete first so I hope they’re around at the flat or maybe Jan will be working night. Feeling a bit shattered about being back but that’s the way at the end of every trip.
Roll on the next adventure.
Introduction
With this trip rapidly coming to a close I thought it would be useful to try and formulate a few thoughts and opinions on what I’ve achieved (or otherwise) in my five months or so back on the road. This summary can only express my feelings at the present time and is therefore in some ways only a reflection of my present mood (which is pretty good at the moment).
To be able to share my experiences with other people through these pages has given me great pleasure although at times I think I may have bared my soul a little too much. One last ‘apology’ before getting down to details. Having taken dexys to keep me awake tonight I trust that I can keep things concise and to the point. Please excuse any ‘wanderings’ (of both the brain and pen) as I try to express my views, feelings and hopes for the future.
Impressions on the different countries visited
The hand of fate seems to have been hovering in the background and giving the occasional push, which has meant that the whole trip turned into something completely different from what was originally intended.
Originally I had planned to tour only South-East Asia with the possibility of going to Australia and working acting as a light at the end of the tunnel. Fate played its hand at a couple of vital points in the trip so that in the end the direction I was to take was decided by forces outside of my control.
The following summary of countries I visited in the last five months is out of necessity only a short résumé:-
Hong Kong
A splendid introduction to my tour of Asia providing a mixture of conditions, some of which I could relate to from previous experience in the west and others providing an insight into a completely different way of life. My five weeks there gave me the chance to view a hectic, overcrowded and sometimes paranoid society.
The work I did as a T.V. extra gave me a little extra cash and a chance to try my hand at something very different. It was all great fun. Looking back at my original intention of working there I feel it would have been a bad mistake and am pleased that things didn’t work out as planned. The humidity, pace of work and competition would have turned me into a nervous wreck.
Thailand
My real regret here was that I didn’t really get the chance to see much of the country. Of my four weeks there, only six days were spent outside the law’s greedy clutches so I only saw a small part of the country and its people. My time in captivity was one hell of an experience which I don’t regret now it’s past history but then again it’s something I wouldn’t want to go through again.
India
One good thing about my Thai experience was that I got the chance to stopover in India on my ‘deportation’ ticket back to Europe. At first it was all a hell of a shock, especially due to the fact that I was only given two days’ notice before being plunged into the unknown.
My two months here have proved to be a real eye-opener with so many huge contrasts both in living standards and the people themselves. It is such a huge country that I feel my travels here have only scratched a little of the surface, leaving plenty more to see on subsequent trips. Next time I would like to see some of southern India i.e. Goa, Kerala, Madras & Sri Lanka.
Nepal
An overused phrase often quoted in connection with this country is that it is a fairy-tale place. It is indeed a lovely place and I had a very enjoyable five weeks there breathing in the incredible atmosphere produced both by the scenery and the people. The invasion, over the last twenty years, of western ideas has spoilt much of Nepal but there are still many areas which maintain their beauty and are relatively untouched by the taints of western civilisation. Hopefully some balance can be achieved to keep that special something which Nepal still has.
Health throughout the trip
Physically my condition has been generally good although a couple of illnesses gave me some worry about having contracted something serious. The most common complaints have been either to do with the stomach or the nose. The shits have been frequent but never too serious while the couple of colds I’ve had cleared up relatively quickly.
My medical insurance ran out after my first month in Hong Kong and I have been lucky that nothing serious has happened to me. If anything had, then I would probably have got the first available flight home. Having met many other travellers who have contracted either hepatitis or dysentery I feel that I have been very lucky.
On my return to England I’ll visit the Hospital for Tropical Diseases in London just to make sure I haven’t caught anything which hasn’t raised its ugly head yet. I was particularly lucky not to fall ill whilst in prison because of the lack of attention evident on the medical front there.
I have lost quite a lot of weight during this trip although I’m not certain now whether this occurred only in India and Nepal but I’m sure a substantial part did. When I left Frankfurt I was a sturdy 70 kilos (11 stone) which is a little overweight for me. On meeting Rita in Bombay I had dropped to 62 kilos (under 10 stone) but think I’ve recovered some of that due to all the breakfasts I ate whilst in Kashmir.
The only inoculation I had was against cholera and typhoid which has proved effective (I hope) and the malaria tablets I’ve been taking once a week have done their job. I must just remember to keep taking them for four weeks after I get back home.
Mentally I think my condition could be described as fairly stable although my senses have had to put up with quite a battering sometimes. I now feel better equipped to handle certain situations because of the many differing experiences I’ve been put through since the start of this trip.
It has been excellent writing this diary because it has provided an outlet for many ideas and problems which would otherwise have remained bottled up inside me. I’m sometimes still subject to bouts of depression but these seem to occur less often now and not in so much depth. On the whole I feel more content with life in general although how long that will last once I’m working again God only knows.
Keeping in touch
Communications by post to and from England & Germany have given me a vital link to what is happening back at home in Europe. On my side I have written regularly to Jan (sending her the originals of this diary), once a week to Rita before she came out (plus of course a couple of telegrams) and every couple of weeks to my mother.
Although the post seems to have been quite efficient from Hong Kong and Thailand taking only 4-7 days, it became very erratic in India and Nepal, sometimes taking three weeks to reach Europe. Incoming post also arrived at varying speeds and due to this a couple of letters (to my knowledge) have gone astray, which is always a shame.
Initially the letters from Rita were very depressing but later on they became more light-hearted again as her health recovered somewhat. Jan’s letters have always been fun and a pleasure to receive whilst travelling. With the return of Debby as well they got even bulkier which was even better.
My mother as always kept me informed on what was happening at home in her own beautiful way and Chris shocked me (but pleasantly) by writing for the first time in a couple of years. I think she must have sensed that something was wrong and her ideas really gave me something to work on, nice one Chris.
The only times communications broke down completely were when I was trying to meet up with people whom I’d met in Asia. The notable success was of course initiated by Graham, Sharon & Aja but that was the only one.
Post Restante in Asia has proved to be the most convenient way to receive mail although their efficiency sometime leaves a lot to be desired. Especially bad were those in Kathmandu and Srinagar where post was quite often mis-sorted and the system was open to all sorts of abuse. I much prefer a system where one has to produce identification to a responsible official rather than the slap-happy way in which letters are chucked about without accountability at both the above-mentioned places.
Telegrams proved to be efficient & cheap for urgent messages, taking only a day or two either way. Post is becoming more expensive in Asia but is still much cheaper than in Europe.
New things happening
As is of course normal, whilst away from Europe, many new things have been happening to friends and family. The following are some of the changes I’ve heard about whilst away, but I expect to hear many more once I’m home again.
Dawn Cottage has witnessed a couple of changes with various members of the family disappearing in different directions. My father is now in the Seychelles getting a new radio station off the ground. Ali is again travelling through Europe and may even have been in Frankfurt during July. Chris has been spending more time away from home as well, so that my mother has had to cope with a lot during the last few months.
In Frankfurt things haven’t stood still either. Jan moved into Pete’s new flat although that was of course on the cards when I left. They seem to make a great pair and hopefully things are still going well for them. From Jan’s letters it sounds so anyway.
It also sounds as though The Cottage will see some changes soon. The last I heard was that Bobby would join Murray and Eric in the firm running the Irish House at present, and that they would buy the lease on The Cottage, installing Bobby as manager there.
Fran & Beany have certainly made 1981 their year by firstly getting married, then finding a house and now producing a child into the bargain. I wish them all the happiness in the world. Debby & Philippe returned after a few months in Jamaica which they thoroughly enjoyed but were apparently unable to stay there as long as they would have liked.
Some sad news for Jim whose mother died, but from what I hear he seems to be alright if not naturally so then he’s putting on a good front. It must be absolute agony deep down. Other news includes the fact that Micky has now gone to the States while Colin was sighted by Debby whilst in Greece.
Changes within myself
This is something that I find very difficult to judge because Fred happens to be permanent company so I don’t notice the changes as much. It is easier for others to judge.
Rita thought I had changed very little during the five months we didn’t see each other, except maybe in becoming a little harder on the outside. The following are some of the ways in which I feel I’ve changed but I’m still finding out about myself so they may not seem relevant to anyone else.
My aims in life are still rather indistinct although the more I travel the easier it is not to worry about that. As I gain more experience I’m sure my confidence in myself becomes greater which must be a good thing. During this trip I’ve also learnt to become more broad-minded as I’ve had to adapt to the many different ways of life that exist, often side by side, in Asia.
This should be helpful in the future as it equips me better in my fight to accept people for what they really are, although I’ll still find it difficult not to laugh at the stupidity of the human race sometimes.
I’ve also discovered the fact that I do have some talents which I often don’t use as much as I should, such as my writing abilities which could be earning me extra money through articles for magazines or even a book.
Through my prison experience and also travelling in India I’ve learnt to appreciate the effects that corruption has on a society, affecting large sections of it. We have of course our own corrupt systems in Europe but nothing like those which exist in certain countries in Asia. Bribery does the talking, not justice.
I’ve also seen a lot of both the good and bad sides of the drug scene. In prison I witnessed the selfishness and hardship that heroin produces among its users and got warning enough never to abuse any drug to such an extent that it leads to destruction of my own personality.
During the trip I’ve also tried a couple of new things myself but most of the time I’ve stuck to the limits within which I know I can operate. I feel that I’ve learnt a lot, using hash and grass more to set me thinking and not just to get blasted all the time (although that’s happened a few times as well).
My desire for further education has returned this trip and whether I go to college for four years or simply learn another language my mind will soon be active in the learning (or rather educational) field again.
I am finding that I don’t dwell on past problems so much as I’m slowly learning the fact that you can’t change something that’s already happened, only modify it in some way. The present is the only time that really matters and the future is not worth too much worry although one does have to make tentative plans on which direction your life will take.
Quite often the decisions are made for us anyway so that our real choice is a very limited one. So why worry, what’s going to happen will more than likely happen whatever you do about it. This attitude, at least partly adopted by me, has led to a greater peace within myself than I’ve known for a long time.
Hopefully, like the massive reduction in how much I drink, this feeling will continue once I get back to work again. It’s very easy to revert to how one was before so I hope that I’m strong enough to hold onto some of the gains I’ve made. That is as long as those changes aren’t in reality an illusion.
I’m sure that there are many other things that I’ve learnt which affect the way I act and behave but as mentioned before it is not easy to see those changes within myself because I’m so close to them. I’ll let other people judge if they want to, it’s easier that way and life shouldn’t be complicated by too much self-analysis.
Money
My attitude towards the ‘root of all evil’ is a much more philosophical one after my experience in Thailand. It is still important and I will try to be a little more cautious in the future as regards investments but I don’t worry about it now as much as I used to. I have now used all of the money I took with me for this trip, just over five thousand marks, which under ‘normal’ circumstances in Asia could have lasted me another couple of months.
I still have some money in reserve although I don’t want to use too much of the gift my grandmother left me when she died. As it is I’ve dug into nearly a third of it leaving a little over £1000. I also have DM600 in Germany plus the stones which, if I can sell them, should fetch another DM300-400.
So no worries, I’m not bankrupt yet and if everything else fails I always have the job in the bank to go back to and provide me with a steady income so I can start saving again.
The Rita saga
Now this is a tough one. I find my own attitudes and feelings towards Rita are very difficult to understand so it must be even more difficult for others (including Rita) to know what’s going on.
Our relationship has become very involved after such a long time. Even though we’ve split a couple of times in the past it’s never easy to make a complete break. I know what should happen, but whether it does and we both have the strength to make a complete separation is another matter.
Enough said, only the future holds the answer and as I can’t read the future I’ve no idea what the outcome will be. The saga will no doubt produce a few more twists and turns before the end of the day. Whatever happens will surely be for the best, I hope so anyway.
What does the future hold?
As I mentioned in the previous section I cannot read the future but I do have a few clues as to what might happen to me in the next few months. The most drastic would of course be a return to college but any decision on that is out of my hands now and fate must make the next move.
Other options are rather limited due to the jobs crisis in Europe so if college doesn’t become a viable alternative then I may return to the bank for a year at least before taking off again. Other possibilities include getting a job on the black to get money quickly and be on the move again within four months.
The last possibility, if I discovered that I couldn’t handle Frankfurt again, would be to go for broke and grab my money (all of it) and head for Australia (via India, Sri Lanka, Malaysia and Indonesia) where I should be able to find some work. Much of what I’ve said about the Rita saga applies to this situation as well because there are so many unknowns hidden around the corner which may change my present ideas completely. Whatever happens I’m not going to worry about it unduly.
Footnote – The last day
Sunday July 26th
Spent all night writing the epilogue which I hope provides a useful insight into the way Fred thinks.
It is now 7-00 a.m. and the dexys are starting to wear off a little so I should sleep well on the flight back to Frankfurt. My right hand has taken a battering with all this writing so I’ll give it a rest now and on the plane, adding any other essential details upon my arrival in Frankfurt.
Thanks to all the writing I’ve done during the night, time has passed very quickly. Hopefully the flight won’t drag too much. Rita must already be well on the way home and after all the flying and hanging around she’ll be exhausted.
The flight was slightly delayed and didn’t leave Delhi until after 9-30 a.m.
I am now sitting at the S-bahn station in Frankfurt feeling really strange. Had a pretty uneventful flight although they fed us well with breakfast, lunch and after a stopover in Rome early afternoon, another snack.
Only managed to get a couple of hours sleep on the plane, so I dropped my last two dexys before going through customs so that I can see the evening through.
I will now head over to try and see Jan and Pete first so I hope they’re around at the flat or maybe Jan will be working night. Feeling a bit shattered about being back but that’s the way at the end of every trip.
Roll on the next adventure.
Saturday July 25th
I managed to sleep quite well although restless because of many different dreams which disturbed me a couple of times during the night.
Woke at 8-00 a.m. feeling more refreshed but still in a state of semi-depression. I had to leave my berth as the train was filling up and people had nowhere to put their luggage. I sat down the bottom and joined a group of young lads who spoke only Hindi and we had an entertaining time trying to communicate.
They gave me a couple of beedies to smoke which helped relieve the tension I’d been suffering within myself because of all that had happened yesterday.
The weather has become very hot with the sun appearing for a while although there was ample evidence along the way of the damage caused by the recent monsoon activity in these areas.
One more unpleasant incident occurred on the journey although I saw nothing of it. Someone had either fallen or thrown themselves under the train and the wheels had severed an arm and a leg before the train was able to stop. A lot of people rushed outside to see the spectacle but I was unable to face it and thought only how lucky I really was.
We arrived in New Delhi at 11-00 a.m. after quite a good journey. I went first to the station’s ‘South Indian vegetarian restaurant’ where I had a lunch of rice and curry for R3-50. Back downstairs again I went to one of the many shoe-repairers who for R1 secured the strap on my flip-flops so that I could use them again.
Decided to try and get a hotel room for the afternoon at a reduced rate before going out to the airport this evening. I could take a room for the night but as I must check-in at 7-30 a.m. the risk of me oversleeping is too great. Besides I’ve got six dexys left and want to get some sort of epilogue written for the diary before I go home.
Found a room for the afternoon at a nearby hotel for R15 where I had a nice, cool and refreshing shower. The rest of the afternoon I spent dozing, writing and thinking a lot. There were a couple of power cuts during the afternoon to remind me I was back in Delhi.
The heat in the room when the fan stopped was almost unbearable and made it necessary for me to have another quick shower before leaving at 6-00 p.m. I decided to leave early on the off-chance that I could see Rita again on her way to Bombay.
I wasn’t very hopeful of meeting up with her but I’ve missed her a lot since I left yesterday morning and wanted to make sure she was alright now. I really don’t understand my feelings for her sometimes, it’s crazy.
Walking from the hotel towards Connaught Place I got really hot & sweaty as the late afternoon sun beat down on me, the clouds having largely dispersed. I stopped off for a last milk-shake before going for the bus which left promptly at 6-45 p.m. (cost R8). The journey was not as long as I’d remembered and we were there within twenty minutes.
On the way I saw a beautiful sunset as the sun shone through the darkening clouds producing some incredible colours. Got to the airport shortly after 7-00 p.m. and headed for the national departure lounge where I sat myself and hoped.
Surprise, surprise, five minutes later the little lady herself appeared. We were both really glad to see each other and I was pleased that she was looking so much better. We didn’t have time to talk much before she had to hurry through the security check to board her plane for Bombay.
Having seen her again really cheered me up. She had been delayed a couple of hours in Srinagar before flying down which was why she had been so late arriving here. If she hadn’t been delayed then I probably would have missed her completely and still been as worried as before.
After our few minutes conversation I agreed to phone her on Monday (to let her know that I’d got back safely) and then went up to the very flashy restaurant they have here. From there I saw Rita’s flight take off alright at 8-00 p.m. In Bombay she’ll have a couple of hours to waste before flying home.
This restaurant will probably be my abode for the night and I’ll shortly be taking four dexys (as soon as my pot of tea arrives) which should keep me awake enough to get plenty of writing done. If not then I’ve got two more but I don’t particularly want to arrive in Frankfurt wide-eyed so I’ll have to be careful how late I take them.
The tea has just arrived so things should soon be underway. The restaurant is proving an ideal place to sit as it is reasonably comfortable with not too many people around and no hassles as long as I eat and drink something. I have already had an evening meal of baked vegetables ad chips (R15), a pot of tea and a coke (quite expensive at R4 each).
It is now 11-30 p.m. and the dexys have had their required effect of keeping me wide-eyed although I’m having to channel my physical restlessness into the writing I intend doing over the next six or seven hours. I have already drafted a plan of what I want to write about as an epilogue to this diary.
To try and make it a little more organised I’ve split it up into eight different sections plus an explanatory introduction although there is of course the possibility that other things will pop into my head as I am writing. Here’s hoping that it makes interesting reading and provides the reader (and author as well) with an insight into how Fred ticks.
Friday July 24th
After trying to get to sleep for ages I eventually gave up and decided to get up again. Rita was dozing restlessly as I returned to the living room and joined Sharon and Kate who were still sitting around reading.
As it was already past 1-00 a.m. I decided that there was no real point trying to sleep when I had to be up again at 6-00 a.m. so I dissolved two of the dexys Sharon had given me under my tongue. They soon had the required effect and as I write the time is already nearly 3-30 a.m.
Sharon went to bed an hour ago but Kath is still awake and writing letters to all and sundry. I finished reading ‘Brave New World’ which I found quite interesting. Have now chosen another book of Kath’s called ‘Buddenbrooks’ which is an English translation of the classic German novel written by Thomas Mann.
The wedding party still continues and will apparently carry on into the early hours of dawn and maybe even later. The music is very rhythmical and has a special Kashmiri quality although it’s difficult to describe. The basic chant is always the same with a forceful base line produced by various drums and a different person singing the solo line as the singing chorus chimes in afterwards with the chant.
As I said very difficult to describe, extremely basic but it appeals to my sense of rhythm as I speed on through the night. By the noise that has been echoing around the lake I don’t imagine many people are sleeping well and that (unless they’re involved with the wedding) they’ll be even more irritable than normal tomorrow.
It is the month of Ramadan at the moment (until Aug. 2nd) which involves a month of abstinence from drinking, smoking and eating except for some relaxation of the rules while the sun is down. All this sacrifice has led to a lot of families falling out over various things and to big verbal fights which carry on day and night and can be even noisier than tonight’s party.
Kath and I chatted for ages and had quite a good conversation considering the early hour it was. The party continued unabated although towards dawn the singing and drum-beating became more and more subdued. The night has passed very quickly and we are presently just sitting here listening to the dawn chorus, which is very loud, and watching the rain as it continues into the morning light.
Rita seems to have slept well most of the night and her fever has subsided a little but we’ll have to see how she feels before making any decisions about whether she travels today or not. If things go according to plan this morning then breakfast should arrive at 6-30 a.m. leaving plenty of time to get over to the tourist centre from where the bus leaves at 7-30 a.m.
Woke Rita shortly after 6-00 a.m. to see how she was and although she felt a little better it was decided that she wasn’t fit enough to travel by bus and train today so our contingency plan was put into operation. I had some breakfast of fried eggs, toast and tea. After saying some hurried farewells to Rita, Kawa and Kath I got a shikara across the peaceful lake and then walked along the boulevard towards the tourist office.
I found the bus quite quickly and left my luggage there while I went in search of someone else to share my ticket. I went to the reservations counter where the guy paired me off with an old Kashmiri teacher travelling to Jammu who needed a seat. He gave me R30 to cover my costs and took the seat next to mine so that we were both happy.
The bus set off at 7-45 a.m. into the driving rain, which has really been coming down heavily considering that Kashmir is not usually an area hit by the monsoons. I heard yesterday that Rajhastan (state south of Delhi) has been badly flooded and that Delhi itself has been quite heavily hit. Hopefully it won’t affect my travelling arrangements at all.
As the bus moved off I dozed gratefully and fell into a dreamful sleep from which I was only occasionally awoken during the morning as we travelled the length of the valley from Srinagar to the tunnel from where the road winds itself down towards Jammu.
I was feeling a little upset this morning because of leaving Rita behind but I’m sure she’ll be well looked after and will still arrive home before me. I’ll miss her though. Despite all our arguments I’m still very fond of her as a person, which is maybe why I find it so difficult to stick to resolutions made between us about the future.
The rain produced some spectacular results and some very dangerous ones as well. The rivers and streams were all swollen with muddy-coloured water produced in raging torrents from the towering mountainsides. This led in turn to slippery, muddy roads which in places were eroded away to dangerously narrow levels.
The road was also subject to many landslides and mudslides, a small one of which landed on our bus with a loud crash (which was quite frightening at the time).
It is now nearly 3-00 p.m. and we’ve just had a break from the painfully slow journey for some dinner (veg. curry & chapattis). There are now only 120 Km. to go before we reach Jammu, so there should be plenty of time before the train goes at 9-25 p.m. for me to try and sell the other half of my ticket to Delhi. That statement now sounds really cheerful.
The journey got worse and worse. As we drove along the bus had another small collision, not with a rock this time but another vehicle, a lorry. It caught the back end of the bus causing some damage to the side and smashing some windows. After sorting that out we moved on only to hear sundry pieces of metal from the bottom of the bus scraping along the ground and then falling off with a loud clatter.
With 70 Kms. still to go and the time fast approaching 6-00 p.m. we pulled into a garage and all had to dismount as the bus obviously wasn’t going to make it to Jammu.
Got chatting to an Australian guy (Andy) who had been travelling on the same bus and later on discovered that he had been in Chiang Mai when I was in prison there. It was another of those many coincidences one runs into whilst travelling.
He had arrived there a couple of days before I was shifted to Bangkok and heard the whole story of Stan, Fred & Andy from Sharon, Aja, Marie & Willy at Isra House. For him it was also strange meeting one of the three famous convicts. He also gave me some news which I hadn’t heard yet.
The lawyer Stan had hired didn’t turn out to be much help and when he left the question of an appeal against the sentence seemed to have been dropped, so it looks as though Stan may still be there, with another two months still to serve.
His girlfriend Maria had returned from Malaysia by the time Andy moved on, so hopefully she was able to give him some moral support and help keep his flagging spirits up. We talked a lot about what had happened on another bus we eventually managed to catch at 6-45 p.m. as the rain was starting to fall heavily again.
We caught a private local bus and had to stand in the corridor with our heads bent low by the roof for the next couple of hours. I think the bus must have been built for midgets originally because the roof was only 5 ft. higher than the floor causing most of the standing passengers a considerable amount of discomfort.
Andy knew Jammu fairly well and advised me on the best way to get to the railway station as the buses head off to the bus stand which is a long way away. Instead I dismounted on the outskirts of town at 8-30 p.m. with rain still coming down in buckets.
I got a motorised rickshaw which proved to be quite expensive (R20) and the driver refused to bargain. However, it was a long way to the station (9-10 kms.) and so many things seem to have been going wrong that I just wanted to get on the train for which I had a reservation.
We had another accident along the way (believe it or not) in which the driver, blinded by oncoming lights and the rain, ran smack into a concrete bollard. Luckily he wasn’t travelling too fast and didn’t cause too much damage to his vehicle although I smashed my knees and shins on the bars in front of me.
Was quite shaken up by the whole incident. It wasn’t turning out to be a very good day at all and I was becoming more and more pissed off by the moment.
Arrived at the railway station shortly before 9-00 p.m. and in the process of getting out of the rickshaw one of the handles on my bag ripped almost clean off. It has been a good bag but obviously isn’t strong enough to take the rigours of travelling. Hopefully it will stay in one piece and not fall to bits completely before I get to Frankfurt.
I spent the twenty-five minutes before the train was due to leave trying to decipher the rain-soaked reservation lists and asking the various ticket superintendents for help, but without much success. Running up and down the platform one of the straps on my trusty flip-flops parted company with the sole, so that I was reduced to rushing around in bare feet.
The train left on time and I jumped into the nearest second-class sleeper, as it was moving off, feeling absolutely wretched. I sat for a while in a corner (on my bag) thinking about things and feeling utterly defeated mentally and physically.
I was soaking wet from the rain (despite my umbrella), thirsty and dying for a cigarette (of which I had none left). The only change I had left was a R50 note which meant I was unable to buy drinks along the way (or cigarettes) because no-one had sufficient change. I had also managed to twist my ankle whilst jumping onto the train in bare feet to add to the misery that had pervaded me.
After half-an-hour the ticket-inspector came around and we discovered that I’d actually jumped into the right carriage and soon located my berth which was on top, thank God. I climbed up there and was soon asleep after a very trying day.
Thursday July 23rd
Time moves on relentlessly and another day came into being. Our last before having to get on the road again. Woke up at 8-30 a.m. feeling quite good and after a wash sat at the front of the boat for a while.
Had breakfast with Rita who only drank tea as she wasn’t feeling very well again. She spent most of the day crashed out in the bedroom as her stomach was giving her a lot of trouble. I had quite a restless day on the boat feeling strangely unsettled as the day of returning gets closer and closer.
I sat around for ages in the living room talking to Sharon & Kate, smoking a few joints and generally trying to relax. I also did some reading of Aldous Huxley’s ‘Brave New World’ which Kate has given me in return for a couple of books that I’ve already finished.
Decided to get my packing done and went into the bedroom where I sorted everything out and had it all neatly packed within twenty minutes. After five months of travelling I certainly know where everything should go and it still fits in really neatly. The rest of the afternoon I spun away, chatting, reading and having an enjoyable time in the company of Sharon and Kath.
At 5-00 p.m. the three of us got ourselves together and got a shikara into town. Kathy came along with me and although it was earlier than arranged I decided to walk up to the tailors. Surprise, surprise, the clothes were ready (and very well made into the bargain) so that I was able to inspect them, try them on and check the quality.
Was very pleased with all three articles and Kath also approved of them, which made it even better. I paid the balance of R85 and although I felt that I was being overcharged bargaining didn’t even enter my head. Earlier today we’d also paid Kawa R250 to cover our stay and meals for the last three nights of our time in Srinagar.
I was left with R45 which should last me until Delhi and Rita can lend me a little extra for my last night at the airport when I’ll undoubtedly consume a large number of high-price drinks. I also have R100 put specially on one side to pay the outrageous airport tax which everybody has to fork out on leaving India.
After collecting my new clothes we wandered back along the boulevard before Kath headed off to another boat where she’s been invited for a meal. I went to Baba’s tea stall which seemed to have a very convivial, local atmosphere. The owner was quite a character who certainly made his impression on the place. I had a very cheap but tasty and filling meal of idly vada (fluffed pastries & veggy sauce masala dosa) and a tea.
Then caught a shikara back to the boat where I arrived shortly after 7-00 p.m. Rita was still feeling pretty grotty so hopefully she’ll be fit to travel tomorrow. As I write this at 9-00 p.m. she is attempting to get her packing done but still feels very weak. I feel really sorry for her as it only makes her feel worse and she wasn’t feeling happy before anyway.
I’m sure she’ll be feeling a lot better by the morning though. She’ll probably be fine and I’ll end up with a case of the raging shits tomorrow. Most of the evening was spent relaxing with Kath playing guitar, Sharon her mouth organ, the locals singing as they celebrate a big wedding due to take place tomorrow and me slumped in a chair, writing, reading and smoking the last of my dope.
I’d been a little worried about getting hold of some dexys for Saturday night at the airport. Had tried a couple of chemists without success but Sharon allayed my worries on that front when she told me later on that I could have the rest of the ones she has, as she is going to leave them alone for a while.
It still hardly seems possible that I’ll soon be on a plane home again. Once I’m on the move it will be different but sitting here in these idyllic surroundings it’s very difficult to imagine. In a week’s time this will all be another vague shadow of the past. Life’s full of them, isn’t it?
Later in the evening I went and saw Rita again, only to discover that she was feeling even worse and seems very uncertain about whether she should travel tomorrow. She looked pretty rough and certainly not fit enough at present to stand up to the rigorous travelling conditions facing us.
We drew up a contingency plan which I later discussed with Sharon and Kath to enlist their help if it’s needed. The idea would be for Rita to go to the airline office (with one or both of the girls) later on tomorrow and buy either a direct ticket to Bombay (cashing in the Delhi-Bombay part) for Saturday evening or a connecting flight from Srinagar to Delhi on Saturday afternoon.
This way she’d have another day and a half to get better before undergoing this not so stressful method of getting back home and also I can be certain that I am not just abandoning her but that she’ll be in safe hands on the boat. If this ‘plan of action’ becomes necessary then I’ll be travelling down to Delhi on my own, which would be quite a relief in some ways.
Retired shortly after midnight with the wedding party still in full swing and the rain beating down on the roof of the boat. It had been a very cloudy day with a few showers which have really cooled the air temperature considerably.
Wednesday July 22nd
(My sister Chris’s twenty-first birthday, I sent my greetings in the form of thought waves so hopefully they won’t get waylaid along the way). I was awake very early and feeling much better.
Got up at 8-00 a.m. and dropped the other three dexys which got the day moving a bit. Sharon has also taken a few. We were later on comparing our pupil sizes. Hers are pretty hardened and don’t grow so much bigger but mine are still very expressive (I’m surprised Rita doesn’t notice).
I sat in the front room with Sharon. Kath was still crashed out on the floor where she’d finally gone to sleep last night. Safa had already left very early this morning to get his bus to Jammu. Sharon and I didn’t talk much, not even having a joint between us which was unusual. I sat for a while writing but when breakfast arrived shortly after 9-30 a.m. that project was abandoned for later on.
Rita joined me weary-eyed for fried eggs, toast and tea of which I consumed the most part as my stomach is feeling a lot better at the moment. After the meal we sat at the table smoking a lot of cigarettes and chatting over the many things which have been passing through her mind.
As usual we analysed things, said how we felt and compared ideas before (after two hours heated discussion) we discovered (surprise, surprise) that the way we think is still the same. The whole thing is washed-up and finished (for the third or fourth time).
I was on good form for the discussion because of the dexys but I’m afraid it didn’t leave madam any happier. I happily conceded that I was a nasty bastard and really cold, of which I was accused, but got very wound up inside because of the hassle which has unfortunately crept onto the scene again.
After the big talk show I had a couple of smokes with Sharon to settle me down again. She’s proved to be a magic smoking partner and we have a good laugh together.
Around midday all four of us residents got a shikara over to Dalgate and from there went our separate ways into town. Rita and I went first to the tourist office where we booked our bus seats to Jammu for Friday morning (7-30 a.m.). With that settled it gave a final seal to the fact that we’ve got very little time left and will soon be on our way back to Europe.
I checked at the Post Office for any more post but was disappointed as there was nothing at all from my family or news from Kim & Geoff (or anyone else who’s passed through in the last few days).
Rita then changed another US$50 as she wanted to buy a present for her sister. I sat and watched the incredibly slow service (although not as slow as many) of Grindlays Bank Ltd. I sat there for ages and watched the whole charade in action. Banking must be basically the same set-up the world over.
She then purchased some beautiful earrings and a pendant made from ‘bluestone’ and silver, a lovely combination. They cost R240 and there seemed little bargaining to be done but they’ll make great presents and seemed like an excellent buy.
After this bit of shopping I split, pleading the fact that I wanted to buy some trousers as my cop-out. I also needed time to myself as I was starting to feel a bit crowded and hassled again. I soon got that out of my system, speeding around various parts of town and looking in at numerous tailors shops, making a few tentative enquiries.
My long search cost me much precious ‘shoe-leather’ (the flip-flops are paper-thin). I eventually called on a gentleman calling himself ‘Honest Injun’ (unbelievable isn’t it?). I saw a couple of things I liked and because the guy said the things would be finished tomorrow I decided to get measured up for some trousers and a shirt (something respectable to come back in, or rather go back in).
I paid a R100 deposit and will pick up the finished articles tomorrow evening. Ordered a smart pair of khaki trousers with side pockets, a pair of black cotton trousers styled the same as the ones I have from Nepal and a cream cotton shirt (Indian style). They cost R185 all together, R80 for the khakis, R50 for the cotton pants and R55 for the shirt.
As long as they are finished alright by tomorrow evening I could actually have something quite smart to wear for the benefit of our dear friends, the customs men. I did some more unnecessary walking around but was having a great time on the dexys so it didn’t really matter.
Eventually got back to the boat at 5-00 p.m. after a really enjoyable afternoon in town. Rita seemed a little happier and my mood was considerably better than this morning so we stayed amiable throughout a very enjoyable evening.
Had a good shower to wash the filth off me and suitably refreshed I re-emerged clad in my jeans and grey shirt. That provided sufficient contrast to provoke some comment. We had a meal of mutton, chips and tomato which was very tasty but not all that filling. I’m feeling that especially now, at well past 1-00 a.m. with the munchies and no food available.
We’ve had a great evening smoking plenty of gear and having a good laugh, mostly between the three of us getting out of it. Rita bought some beer which was really good and gave the evening some momentum. She crashed out quite early on while the rest of us laughed on, we had a magic time.
With the time now approaching 1-30 a.m. I suppose I should do something about going to bed, but Sharon is just constructing another joint first. We are the only two awake, although Kath surfaces every so often, and are both still speeding away with no hope of sleep for a couple more hours yet.
Tomorrow is packing day but I don’t think that presents too many problems (unless I get too out of it) as everything should still fit easily into my bag. It has served me well on this trip although I may get something a little stronger at the next time around.
This trip is nearly at an end. It’s unthinkable but true and soon this whole thing will be just another memory (how poetic) recorded faithfully only in the annals of ‘Fred’s Diary’. Anyhow must go now as the next joint is almost ready and the little hand is fast approaching the second one down on your right (2-00 a.m.) but sleep is still a distant dream. For now I’ll call a halt to these stoned ramblings which aren’t leading anywhere at quite a fast rate.
I did in fact sleep well despite my earlier reservations, falling asleep at 2-30 a.m.
Tuesday July 21st
Woke up early at 7-00 a.m. and made use of the time sitting writing my diary.
We should be catching the bus at 10-30 a.m. but the timing isn’t so important so I’ll let Rita sleep as much as she needs. Have bought another half tola of hash (R15) which seems like a pretty good deal and should keep me going until the end i.e. Sunday morning.
I may have to make up a few ‘cigarettes’ for use on trains and at the airport before I fly home. I don’t intend to be carrying any gear going back to Frankfurt though. As much as I’d love to take some back with me the risk is too great, especially after Thailand which took a lot of my nerve with it.
After writing I had a wash, brushed my teeth and had a smoke before getting my few clothes ready for packing. We had a nice breakfast at 9-00 a.m. and then paid our bill for eight days which with food, 7% service charge extra came to R366, more than I’d expected but still quite reasonable.
We hit the trail for the last time, after saying our various goodbyes to people, and headed off towards town. Got to the tourist office shortly before a bus left at 10-15 a.m. We managed to get tickets (R6 each still) and boarded the bus with an Iranian guy (Safa) who had also been staying at the lodge and was travelling back to Srinagar as well.
It was a fairly uneventful journey and although the bus got quite crowded we were seated towards the back and it wasn’t very comfortable. The journey was over within three hours and by 1-30 p.m. we were back on the houseboat again where we’ll spend our next three nights before heading home.
Rita had been in quite a good mood but getting back to the boat only managed to depress her again and I had to contend with her sullenness for the rest of the day. We did have a chat about it later on but were unable to sort anything out.
It was very cloudy when we arrived after the sunshine which we’d been treated to in Pahalgam this morning. Back on the boat I got chatting to Sharon and Kath who are still around. It was like seeing old friends again and we all had a good afternoon and evening together. We were also joined by Safa who knows them both and had also decided to come to the Wild Rose for a night’s rest before heading onto Simla at 7-00 a.m. tomorrow morning.
The gear I’d bought down from the hills was the only stuff around but I still had a fair bit of it left so I didn’t mind at all sharing it around. By the end of the day, between the four of us, we had managed to demolish at least of it which got us all well out of it.
Sharon also slipped me a couple of dexys which sparked me up and even helped me forget the cold which has been dogging me for the last couple of days. She’s also given me three for tomorrow and will get hold of a bottle (25 tabs) for me before I leave.
We had a great afternoon getting well blasted and having a good laugh although Rita didn’t feel able to join in the action. Kate doesn’t smoke at all but gets off nicely from eating the gear. She cut herself a nice chunk which saw her all right for the rest of the evening and we had a really good chat later on.
I was really getting into the smoke and after a week of quite heavy consumption was still getting a really good kick out of the stuff. This has largely been the problem with Rita that I’ve been smoking most of the time, but I don’t feel guilty about it because it’s really giving me a lot of pleasure and if such a harsh choice has to be made then I’m not in the mood for compromise.
At the end of the evening (2-00 a.m.) she was crying again about our situation. It only seems to happen on the boat, maybe because she feels trapped and unable to walk away from a difficult situation. She complains of being lonely here because of being the odd-one-out but I can’t sympathise with that after a week in which she has had the company of other German-speaking people.
I think in a roundabout way I’ve already described how most of the day went so I’ll just mention dinner which we had at the quite late hour of 9-00 p.m. It was delicious and consisted of rice, potato & vegetable curry and some small pieces of meat.
The evening was very pleasant as we all sprawled out across the end of the boat smoking an occasional joint and getting very relaxed and laid back. Safa and Kath played guitar, singing along to some of the songs. It was really entertaining and they were both very good in their own different styles.
Time just bombed past and before I realised it we were already well into another day. Sharon was asleep on the floor of the living room while Rita had gone to bed hours before, although when I eventually retired at nearly 2-00 a.m. she was still awake, and how.
Had a very restless night not sleeping much but drifted off into a state of semi-consciousness at 4-00 a.m.
Monday July 20th
Had a very good night’s rest although disturbed a little by the sun in the early morning, which led to more strange dreams.
I eventually got up at 8-00 a.m. with a heavy head cold which has developed overnight. This really gave me the snuffles, a lot of which was catarrh which also gave me a headache later on. Hopefully, I’m getting all possible illnesses now so that I can be fit and healthy on my return to Europe.
We had breakfast at 9-00 a.m. for which I consumed a lot of food (for a sick man), poached eggs, tea, hot lemon and countless pieces of toast with mango jam and peanut butter. After that I felt a little stronger but still dazed by the cold which has deadened me a lot. I even had a smoke later on which seemed to do very little because of the muzziness in my head already.
Most of the morning I spent sitting around on the balcony writing, chatting with people, having a couple more smokes (they worked alright) and generally being lazy before we make the big move back to Srinagar tomorrow morning.
I also discovered from the Australian girl, who’d made last night’s birthday cake, that she’d put half a tola of hash into it. As I ate a fair bit of cake that could explain why I felt so wiped out towards the end of last night, great stuff.
About midday, feeling pretty groggy from the cold, I lay down for a while on my bed (it was too hot to lie outside) and fell asleep. Didn’t wake up until gone 4-00 p.m. and after the sleep felt a lot better although my cold was still very evident.
Rita ad I walked into town in the still-hot sunshine to look for some food. I still felt pretty weak but after the meal I bought some ‘contac’ tablets which helped clear my head a lot. We stopped at a vegetarian restaurant where Rita had a masala dosa and I had puris with vegetable curry.
For afters we went to the coffee shop where we had a cup of coffee and a luxury bar of chocolate each. We bought a few other odds and ends before starting the long walk back to the lodge for the last time. On our return we sat out on the balcony as the last vestiges of sunlight disappeared behind the mountains and had quite a laugh with various people throughout the evening.
There was a lot of smoking going on and the water pipe appeared again from which I had another good blast. Also chatted to a few people and listened to some good music although after a week Bob Dylan and Bob Marley are getting a bit much. Some of the other tapes including Dire Straits, Rolling Stones were excellent though and got quite a few feet tapping.
A few other people are making a move tomorrow morning, although not all in the direction of Srinagar. Some are off trekking for a few days, which sounds really good in this weather. The trekking conditions here are a lot more remote than Nepal and one has to be well equipped with a tent, sleeping bag and some food.
Went to bed at 11-15 p.m. and after chatting to Rita for a while fell asleep quite quickly. Woke again at 1-00 a.m. but after a smoke was soon fast asleep again.
Sunday July 19th
Woke up several times during the night with cramps and the shits. Took a Mettifex, hoped for the best and it later settled down a bit.
Saw the sunrise from the toilet window and got absolutely frozen as I dived all over the place. In the end a very restless night with its nightmares, bad dreams and slight fever turning me hot & cold all the time.
Eventually got up shortly before 9-00 a.m. feeling a little annoyed and frustrated after such a disturbing night. Intended to have a shower but the bathroom was occupied so that got left until later. Instead we ordered what we hoped would be a healthy breakfast. Both of us had poached eggs (no fat), cornflakes and milk (powdered, awful), toast and some tea.
Surprisingly it’s settled my stomach quite a lot, along with the four joints we’ve had since then I’m feeling a little happier about my state of health now. We were joined for breakfast by a Danish guy and his Arabian friend who were right into having a good morning blow. Got quite out of it before getting down to doing some writing for a while.
Rita has just had a shower and is feeling much better than she has been for the last couple of days. The illnesses have in truth provided a little diversion from the fact that for the last couple of weeks Rita and I seemed to have been growing further apart or maybe even ‘growing-up’ a little together in that time.
We’ll be on the move again in a couple of days back to Srinagar and before we know it back to Germany and me to England. All my thoughts seem to be centred on the future and what the next couple of months could hold for me.
Sat outside on the front lawn for ages soaking up some beautiful sunshine and getting at least a little colour before going back home. The weather was great with a stiff breeze as well to keep one fairly cool. The only thing that was missing was a nice stretch of beach and some water (the river is too cold and it’s not really possible to swim because of the speed with which the water rushes towards its destination).
Part of the time we spent playing the remainder of the game of ‘dots’ we’d started last night which proved to be quite entertaining and Rita eventually won by a hefty margin. I also had another smoke before lying around reading a little and dozing in the pleasant early afternoon heat.
I got the munchies really early today and after a coffee at the lodge, we headed into town in search of some good food. It was by then about 4-00 p.m. Once there we had to search around a little before finding a place that was still serving food.
We found a neat little vegetarian restaurant where we ordered two meals which were the normal Thali variety. Each consisted of two plates of dahl, two plates of vegetable, portion of rice, papad and five puris. It was all really tasty and proved to be very spicy but filling at the same time. We both needed a lassi to quench our thirst after eating.
After that we walked around town for a while and had a coffee at the shop in the main square before walking out of the place in a slightly different direction. Followed the road for a while but then crossed over the first river and walked along its left bank for a while. Finding ourselves climbing we were soon at the top of a mound with a flattened top which fills the central section where the valleys of the two rivers meet.
Turning away over the top of the mound and along a track we were in the middle of a huge plateau which normally isn’t visible because of all the trees. We walked across the plain until we reached some grassy areas which would have been the golf course we’d seen a sign to. A heartily contested game of football was taking place in the middle of the fairway leading to the ninth green (I get the impression this course only has nine holes).
After watching the game for a while we clambered our way back down the front side of the mound and slowly made our way back to the lodge. Rested in the room for an hour or so and chatted to Rita about a few things before we joined scores of others out on the balcony.
The evening turned out to be a real blast as it was the Sri Lankan guy’s birthday today. His girlfriend had arranged a super-looking (and tasting) cake which we all got stuck into along with some muddy tasting tea. Joints were also flying around and the Danish guy also produced a super water pipe.
He made up a pretty lethal mixture with almost four different types of hash (maybe some opium in there as well) which we proceeded to smoke between seven or eight of us. It was knock-out, incredible, a mind-blower. No, it really was an excellent smoke which seemed to wipe quite a few of us out.
The reason I mentioned opium was because I got so weary-eyed, relaxed & laid out by the smoke but that could easily have been due to the mixture of hashes as well. As I reflect on it the next day I realise it was probably just hash but it had dynamite effects.
Went to bed (and pretty quickly to sleep) at 11-00 p.m.
Saturday July 18th
Woke up at 8-30 a.m. after a really good night’s sleep knocked out by the gear.
I read some more last night before I slept and am now two-thirds of the way through the Denis Wheatley novel. When I finish it I’ll have to see if they take books back in exchange so I can get another, thicker one to keep me going for another day or two.
Time is running out quickly. This time next week we’ll be almost back in Delhi for a last hot afternoon before Rita has to get her flight. I think my last night in India will be spent at the airport (on dexys hopefully) maybe writing some sort of epilogue to my five months.
The weather today is cooler with many more clouds around concealing the sun most of the time so that my hopes are again slim to improve my ‘not very impressive’ sun-tan. After three months (to the day I was deported on April 18th) in the heat of India & Nepal my tan is negligible, except maybe on my face and arms.
At 10-30 a.m. I decided to go off for a walk as Rita was still feeling unwell and felt better staying in bed. I didn’t walk very far as I wasn’t feeling too strong myself but found myself a little grass mound near a stream maybe half a kilometre away from the lodge.
Once there I lay down for a while in the sun which dodged from behind clouds every so often to give me a burst of heat and a little more colour. I stayed there for what seemed like ages fighting against the ants who took great delight in crawling all over me as I tried to read the remainder of my book.
Apart from the various bites I received everything seemed very peaceful. I had a couple of smokes as well which really relaxed me and made me appreciate the beauty of everything going on around me in the forest. I finished the book early afternoon and as it was clouding over a lot decided to go back to the lodge where I arrived shortly before 2-00 p.m.
Rita was still sleeping so I sat out on the balcony for a while having another smoke and getting stuck into yet another book, an Agatha Christie I found behind the reception desk. Not a very eventful afternoon although at the same time quite pleasant & relaxing.
About 4-00 p.m. Rita came out for an hour or so before we decided that we should go into town and get something to eat. She had a real craving for some noodle soup. We left shortly before 5-00 p.m. and slowly walked into town as neither of us were feeling particularly strong. My stomach was once again starting to play up, it never seems to let up for more than a couple of days.
After climbing down the hill again, dodging numerous streams and piles of donkey droppings along the trail, crossing three bridges, two rivers and a desert we reached our destination. We tried several restaurants before finding one serving Chinese food which suited Rita’s taste after two days without eating at all.
Making our way back towards the lodge we stopped at several points along the way for some much needed rest. Once back there we lay on the bed for ages recovering ourselves before getting involved in some stupid games I’d remembered (after having another smoke). We played ‘hangman’ for a while before going out onto the balcony where we played ‘dots’ for an hour or so before Rita got fed up with the monotony and went to bed.
I sat outside reading, talking and having a few more smokes with a crowd of people outside, some of them a new crowd moved in today. Went to bed at 11-30 p.m. feeling pretty knocked out again, partly by another bout of stomach trouble which became worse during the night.
Friday July 17th
Woke up several times and saw the sun actually appearing through the clouds and a blue sky to contrast with the dullness of yesterday. The weather must have influenced me because at 8-30 a.m. I got up and felt quite good so went for a good wash and then rolled up a smoke.
That really picked me up and I started doing things. Washed two pairs of trousers and my dirty T-shirts which I later lay out on the grass where they dried by the end of the morning in the sun and cooling wind.
We had breakfast on the balcony where we were joined by two of the Swiss and had another couple of smokes before writing this diary. If my strength is still there I’ll probably head into town for cigarettes and bread later on as Rita is feeling a bit ropey today and is at present lying out in the sun which must be very pleasant (although not if she’s feeling as rotten as I did yesterday).
She didn’t stay out very long and soon retired to bed where she slept and sweated out her fever for the rest of the day. Hopefully it’s only a twenty-four hour thing with her as well otherwise I’ll be dragging her back down towards Delhi this time next week.
I sat out on the grass for a while watching my clothes get dry, reeling from the few smokes I’d had, reading the Robbins book and soaking up some of the beautiful sunshine mellowed by a strong wind. I felt really good for a while (especially after feeling so rotten yesterday) and forgot the small problems that have arisen while dreaming of what might happen in the future.
My clothes dried remarkably quickly and I was able to change my shorts to the Nepalese cotton trousers which I much prefer and then I felt right to go into town. I had to get various things as we’ve decided for the moment not to eat food here as it seems to be the prime upset for our stomachs. Instead I’ll try to get some bread, chocolate and cheese to vary our diet a little.
Left for town at 1-00 p.m. It was a long and tiring walk but the exercise was good for me and the feeling as the hot sun beat down and the wind blew down the valley was great. Once in Pahalgam again I wandered around aimlessly for a while which can be difficult as there is only one main road leading to a main square.
Had a coffee and bought a few supplies to keep us going until our next visit to civilisation. Got several sorts of bread and biscuits which should go nicely with the peanut butter and mango jam. Also bought another book to try and keep up with my frantic reading at the moment. I chose a fairly thick Denis Wheatley one entitled ‘The Haunting of Toby Jugg’.
Rita’s request to get some chocolate was fairly easy but cheese I couldn’t locate anywhere although I expect it’s sold in some way-out dairy shop. Got the cards posted off and bought some cigarettes before a final wander around and then off on the long and tiring trek back to the lodge.
I got there at 3-30 p.m. with Rita sweating out her fever in a fitful sleep and looking exactly how I’d felt the same time the day before. At times like these I feel very close to her but not as a boyfriend more as an ‘older’ brother of sorts. That probably sounds hopelessly contradictory but I can’t explain it any other way.
After a few comforting words I left her to sleep on and joined some of the others out on the balcony. Had a few smokes with the Swiss couple and a guy from Berlin which set me buzzing again. There are some more Swiss, a threesome of one girl and two guys who stay here but always cook in the next field for hours on end with one guy collecting butterfly specimens. Really quite amusing when you’re stoned.
Conversation failed again so I got back to finishing the Harold Robbins book which I now feel I read before a long time ago. Later on I joined Rita in the room for a while trying to be of some help but only being able to get her drinks to quench the endless thirst she has. She has also been sick and is feeling worse than I did, maybe.
All my comforting only succeeded in sending Rita back to sleep so I lay for a while making a start of the Denis Wheatley ‘Black Magic’ novel. It revolves a lot around the effect of the moon which fitted in with my mood as it is full moon tonight and later on we were treated to the sight of it before clouds swept it from view again.
To celebrate the sight of the moon’s appearance I ate a couple of pretty large lumps of hash which later had some effect but not as outlandish as I had expected. As I write it is nearing midnight and the moon glimpses through its black cloud cover every so often but it will be soon out of sight of our window.
I’ve had a good evening out on the balcony with an Australian girl and a Sri Lankan guy she’s been travelling with for three months. Had a good blow and admired the moon before we all retired to our rooms shortly after 11-00 p.m.
Rita is still pretty out of it. So am I in a different sort of way, although I still seem capable of writing the effects of the hash I ate is taking a little more effect so I should have a good night’s rest.
My eyelids are drooping a lot already, my eyes must be in a state and I’m going to bed before I can’t make it anymore. ‘Night’.
Thursday July 16th
Not a great day, spent most of it in bed and rushing to the loo with raging shits, stomach cramps and a slight fever. I woke up several times before 10-00 a.m. but then slipped back into a restless, nightmarish sleep for a long time.
In the meantime Rita went into town and bought a few things; a Harold Robbins novel, jars of both peanut butter and mango jam, a bottle of gin, biscuits and bread. It sounded like a good day’s shopping and she’s spent over R100.
I was really out of it most of the day (not smoke-aided either) and didn’t really come to until fairly late in the evening after Rita had got me medicine from some Swiss people on the balcony, five of whom are staying here at the moment.
Rita came to bed at 10-00 p.m. and went to sleep fairly quickly. I was just starting to wake up and so decided to read some of ‘Stone of Danny Fisher’. I read and read, covering nearly 270 pages before the power was switched off or went at 1-30 a.m. As I said, not a great day, hopefully the morrow will bring something better.
Fell into a light sleep at 2-00 p.m.
Wednesday July 15th
Woke up once as it was getting light at 5-30 a.m. and sat outside for half-an-hour watching the creeping fingers of sunlight appearing behind the still dark mountains ranging beyond the other valley-side.
The sun never actually appeared as the clouds rapidly increased to cover the light blue sky completely. I took a couple of photos of the changing scene for Rita who was still fast asleep. I then returned to the warmth of my bed and slipped away into the world of dreams again for a couple more hours.
Woke again shortly after 9-00 a.m. and after having a wash ordered some breakfast of toast and butter + a pot of tea. Rita had bought some peanut butter yesterday which we ate with the toast, excellent. I then sat writing my diary up to date (for the first time in a few days) and had a couple of smokes to prepare me for a walk we’re going to make later along the river in the opposite direction from Pahalgam.
As I write it is 11-30 a.m. and Rita is sitting on the bed very subdued and a little unhappy about her experience yesterday. That’s the way it seems anyway. Hopefully this incident won’t lead to more hassles in the remaining ten days of our holiday in Kashmir. I’m still really enjoying the smoke and want to leave on a high I’ll remember for the months of comparative deprivation ahead.
After getting ourselves down onto the path by the river we started heading in the other direction and into the unknown. As we started out the sun was quite hot but that only lasted for half-an-hour or so before the clouds moved in again with some dark foreboding shapes appearing over the mountaintops, all a little awesome.
We passed through the grounds of a rest home run by Indian Railways (Northern Division) before reaching a bridge where we crossed over as there didn’t seem any other way through. The bridge was still under construction and led us into the middle of a tented army camp with soldiers bristling all over the place. We walked along the tarmac road which led us through the camp past the scrutiny of many different pairs of eyes.
I was a little wary of being stopped, especially as I had a lump of hash in my trouser pocket. Made it through alright though and crossed the river again by means of another bridge and along another fading footpath. This took us around a bend in the valley so we saw a whole new range of mountains. We ended up stopping at a point directly opposite a small village on the other side of the river.
There was no way we could make our way further unless we climbed a precipitous looking slope up over the top of the next section, which had eroded away with the water. Instead we picked out a couple of rocks and sat there cleaning our feet (the water was ice-cold) and then relaxing for a while, all other sounds drowned by that of the raging water nearby.
I read my book and also smoked another joint which really relaxed me. As we sat there the skies visibly darkened. We could hear the sound of distant thunder and lightning before the rain started coming down, a drizzle at first but becoming quite heavy later on.
At 3-00 p.m. we started to head back to the lodge and to avoid crossing the river again we kept along a higher track. This led us eventually to the front gate of Bente’s Lodge but not before we’d slipped and skidded along various knife-edges in an hour or so of drama and tension.
Rita was still very subdued although she said she’d enjoyed the exercise and on our return to the room she fell asleep on the bed looking mentally and physically whacked. I sat and wrote for a while before having another smoke and then relaxing on the bed with my book.
About 7-00 p.m. we went out onto the balcony where we joined a group of German-speaking people. Had a couple more smokes before getting our evening meal which we’d ordered earlier. We had chips & vegetable cutlets which were very greasy and caused nasty repercussions later on.
Had a fairly quiet evening as I didn’t feel like talking to others much but at the same time did a lot of smoking. The others (including Rita) all went to bed quite early but I sat around for a while and was joined by several locals connected with the lodge. They were having some sort of celebration and had a few bottles of beer with them so on their invitation I joined them.
We had a lot to drink and a few more smokes as they all had a good laugh and we had quite a party.
Went to bed pretty wiped out at 11-30 p.m.
Tuesday July 14th
I woke up feeling good at 9-00 a.m. after having slept pretty well, although I was woken a couple of times by weird dreams which unsettled me a little.
When I awoke it was cloudy but later on the blue sky and a very hot sun appeared. The real heat of the day was taken out by some refreshing breezes blowing along the valley and also by the two rivers (yes, two) which have their own cooling effects as they bring melted snow down from the highest and coldest mountains.
We had some breakfast in our room looking out at the fabulous postcard views through our windows as the sun made its appearance and brightened everything around us. The views are indescribable, with huge mountains towering away in the distance and clouds rolling in over their peaks in all sorts of strange ways.
For breakfast we had toast, butter, jam and a pot of tea. I ate the most as I was feeling really hungry and drank the most as I was really parched. After eating I sat for ages writing my diary as Rita tried to catch up on some letters that she has been meaning to write ever since arriving in India.
Also had a couple of smokes which set me up for the day nicely. We started the long walk into town at 11-45 a.m. and in all it took us twenty-five minutes before reaching the main street. It’s a very enjoyable walk though, as we first headed down the hillside, along the riverbank and across three different bridges and the two rivers (I could only remember one from yesterday).
It’s a very scenic little walk and the effort involved, especially coming back, should get us quite fit again. Once in the town we went up the main street and found the small office used by the State Bank of India as we needed some more cash. The place was pretty disorganised with the staff trying to catch up on all the work left over from yesterday’s strike.
I changed 2 x US$50 T/Chqs and got R867 in exchange while Rita just changed another US$50. Hopefully that money will last me until the end of my trip so I’ll still have a US$50 T/Chq to change upon my arrival in Frankfurt.
At 1-00 p.m. we had a coffee and some biscuits at a coffee shop in the main square before slowly wandering back towards the lodge in some beautiful weather, which made one feel good to be alive.
Once back in our room we had a rather lazy afternoon lounging around on the bed reading and having a smoke (even Rita did although she still failed to get much from it). I was reading a book I’d managed to buy at the only bookshop in town called ‘Killtest’ by Graham King. It was quite an interesting book and by the time we went out again at 6-00 p.m. I’d already half-finished it.
Rita is slowly wading through the Winston Graham book ‘Greek File’ which I read whilst on the boat in Srinagar. We ‘popped’ into town again for an evening meal which we had at a large Indian restaurant in the middle of Pahalgam.
We really filled ourselves with four different types of curry; cheese & peas, cauliflower & potato, bean & curd & curried bean, which all went down very well with numerous tasty chapattis. The bill for both of us including a couple of drinks only came to R21-50, very good value for what we had.
In the restaurant we had been sitting watching the world go by along the street in front of us. At our next venue we sat on a bench actually on the pavement and became part of that world. We had a coffee each and watched a lovely colourful sunset over the end of town and behind the mountains.
Rita had wanted to buy some wine but on checking at one of the shops found it to be much too expensive a luxury here (R50-60 for a bottle) so we left it. In the quickly failing light we started to make our way back to the lodge once more and arrived there just as the darkness of night really set in (clouds covered the light of the moon).
The evening was spent partly in the room and partly on the balcony soaking in the atmosphere of the place around us. Really impressive. Had a couple more smokes of which Rita also tried a little and later in the evening actually got properly stoned from the cumulative effect of them.
This happened after we’d returned to our room at 10-00 p.m. and had a couple more smokes there. She didn’t know how to control the sensation and although I tried to calm her down she started to freak out a bit and become really paranoid about the whole thing.
I always knew she was pretty sensitive but her reaction to getting off really stunned me for a while and I was no real help as I didn’t feel able to comfort her much. After an hour or so she came through the worst of it (which had been quite horrific) and calmed down a lot. She swore afterwards that she never wanted to try it again.
Although I tried to explain that it could be so much better I think it’s probably better if she leaves it alone completely. It’s not really Fraulein Berger’s style at all (and she has got some). After all this excitement I had to have another smoke to calm myself down.
Also read through Jan and Debby’s letters again. They can be a real boost and help me remember that there are people on the same level who understand more of what goes on in my world than Rita ever could (unfortunately in some ways).
I eventually went to sleep at 12-30 a.m. with Rita snoring beside me, the hash having eventually worked its way through so she could sleep properly.
Monday July 13th
I woke up at 8-00 a.m. after a good night’s sleep.
Rita had already been up an hour and was busy organising her things for our move today. I had a wash and then we had some breakfast together before getting the last of our packing done. We weren’t taking so much and therefore the stuff we left behind was a lot more than that which we packed in Rita’s bag to take with us.
I am taking only a couple of pairs of trousers, T-shirts, a cardigan and my washing gear. As it worked out though I ended up carrying the bag all the time and it was still quite heavy.
We paid our outstanding bill to Mr Kawa which came to R600 for the eight days since last Sunday (including meals, taxes and teas). We paid him another R200 each (which left me with R7) and he packed away all our gear until we come back again in a week or so.
About 9-30 a.m. we got a shikara into town with the idea firstly, of finding out when the buses to Palagham went from and secondly to get some money from the bank. After walking around for ages in the blazing sun we’d been unable to find out much about buses as there seemed to be some confusion over which ones were running still due to a strike by many of the bus drivers.
The banks were also closed due to a strike so I was unable to get any money and had to borrow some from Rita. At 11-00 a.m. I went off to the post office to check if there was any post while Rita tried to find out what was happening with the buses. Was overjoyed to find a letter waiting for me from Jan and Debby.
I sat on some nearby steps in the shade waiting for Rita and also reading the letters which were really cheerful and made me feel heaps better despite the heat. A Kashmiri guy joined me for a while and soon had a joint made which we smoked together before Rita returned. I felt even better after that.
Rita came back with the news that there were some buses running but that they left from the other side of town. After some more messing about we managed to get an auto-rickshaw for R5 which took us to the ‘garage’ where the buses started from. With the help of another Kashmiri guy we made the bus and even managed to get seats near the front.
Five minutes later we were off, it was now shortly after midday. The bus we caught was the local government bus and cost us only R6 each for the journey of 94 Kms. to Phalagam (the tourist buses cost R16 at the moment but prices may rise after the strike).
We had the two seats near the front entrance which meant we got more and more cramped as the bus stopped at various points and picked up more people. I ended up with the bag squeezed between my legs and unable to move my legs or my bottom which got really sore on the hard seats. At 2-00 p.m. we reached the halfway point of Islamabad where we had a twenty-minute break.
Rita and I didn’t walk too far and were having a thirst-quenching drink of lemon when we saw our bus being invaded by hordes of weirdly attired pilgrims (sadus). We put down our half-finished drinks and dived into the fray trying to save our seats which we succeeded in doing after much pushing and shoving.
The driver then arrived to try and sort out the whole scene. He ordered the pilgrims off while the other passengers regained their seats. Then the pilgrims swarmed everywhere, onto the roof, into the aisles and almost sitting on the driver’s lap as they sat all over the engine cover.
These were just a few of the thousands of pilgrims heading up to Armanath cave for the full moon this coming Friday 17th. This cave, which is of great significance to many Hindus and Buddhists, is a good three day’s walk from Phalagam. We left Islamabad with a fully packed bus straining at the seams at 2-30 p.m. with relative sanity restored. Somehow along the way we managed to pick up at least ten more passengers and cram them in.
After so much trouble a lot of the pilgrims didn’t even have to pay because of their being sadus (and therefore having no worldly possessions). This is a very tolerant country in that sort of way.
We passed from the lush Kashmir Valley and started heading up into the mountains again where the landscape changed considerably and became at points very heavily forested. We travelled upwards along a river valley with the raging River Liddar coming fast in the opposite direction flowing down to feed the green pastures of the valley we’d just left.
On the way we passed through numerous small villages where life continued regardless of what was going on around them. The scenery became more spectacular as we climbed higher and I soon felt as though we’d moved into a picture-book with the landscape being so grand and contrasting heavily with the charm of Srinagar.
We arrived in Phalagam’s main square at 4-15 p.m. after a very interesting journey. Once off the bus we stood around for a few minutes smoking a cigarette and stretching our cramped limbs. Quite a crowd of touts gathered around us but after five minutes waiting we baffled them completely by walking away towards the end of town.
A couple of them chased after us but soon gave up. We walked out to the other end of town where we followed a track towards a collection of lodges and hotels on the other side of the river. We were joined by a guy who works at Bente’s Lodge, the one which I’d decided to try anyway. He accompanied us over the bridge and along a footpath which led along the riverside for a long way.
After a good walk we arrived at the lodge which is set in the middle of a small forest. It stands in its own grounds a little way up the hillside with some spectacular views of the surrounding mountains, some of them still with traces of snow on them.
Arrived shortly after 5-00 p.m. and we were shown to Room No. 1 which was a large, open double room with spectacular views on two sides through large, spacey windows. It costs only R20 for the two of us which seemed eminently reasonable to me. As it’s quite a way from town they also do meals and some drinks which will be useful.
We lay on the spacious bed for a while recovering our wits after an exhausting journey from Srinagar. I had a shower which was extremely bracing. We are now at 7000 feet and the evenings became quite cool so cold water can feel very cold, know what I mean? I then lay on the bed, dozing for a while and thinking about things that could and can happen in the future.
Later on I was approached by one of the guys from the kitchen who had some hash to sell. I couldn’t resist buying the whole beautiful lump when I’d had a good look at it. It was still quite fresh and smelt lovely. After some bargaining I got it for R65 and it should keep me going nicely for the next week or so.
After buying it I thought I should test it (completely the wrong way round of course). Rita and I went out onto the balcony and joined a young German guy from Berlin who made up a joint so that I could try his hash as well. Both were excellent smokes and after a repeat operation later on I got pretty out of it, but a really good buzz and on the verge of hallucinations a couple of times, weird.
This place has a cassette player with a loudspeaker so we were treated to some good music during the evening but I was also haunted by the many sounds going on around the valley as night descended in an incredible fashion. Later on everything quietened down a bit, both in my head and in the surrounding countryside as well.
Rita went to our room at 10-00 p.m. and there was then a lack of conversation between the German guy who speaks very limited English and me who isn’t used to speaking much German when I’m out of my head. After half-an-hour of silence (which was cool) we were thrown off the balcony as they wanted to get the place locked up for the night.
In the bedroom I lay for ages, floating away when I was not disturbed by Rita who was being a bit difficult again. Went to sleep shortly after midnight.
Sunday July 12th
After another dreamy night I woke up at 9-30 a.m. feeling rested, although a little stiff from yesterday’s exertions.
Sharon didn’t seem to be around, having probably got side-tracked along the way last night. She was well out of it so anything could have happened.
Rita & I had breakfast at 10-30 a.m. which today consisted of boiled eggs, tea, and plenty of toast & jam. We talked a little about our plans for tomorrow and have decided to only take along a few clothes and other essentials in one bag, leaving the rest of our stuff here until our return next week.
We will try to get a bus shortly after midday and should be in Pahalgam by late afternoon. From there we have to find the lodge where Kath is working. It is meant to be a fair walk out of town so it could be fun. After breakfast I sat writing for ages while Rita went into town to get a few necessities and have a look round.
Sharon returned from her night out a little later looking a little worse for wear but still ready to go on with the smoking. She had some more Kashmiri gear which was pretty pokey. The afternoon turned into quite a session with Rita returning and the purchase of a couple of bottles of beer. I then went with Sharon over to the other boat where we had some more of various different hashes to smoke. I got (as Sharon would say) absolutely debauched and at 4-00 p.m. had to go to our room for a lie down.
I was confronted with Rita (was hast du genommen?) but after some hassle I managed to get some rest and slow down a bit. In the meantime Kath had returned with two British guys, who apparently got themselves plastered on bottles of brandy and beer during the late afternoon as I slept.
Woke again at 6-30 p.m. feeling quite dazed but otherwise alright. Joined the others at the front of the boat for a while, had another smoke with Sharon and chatted with Kath who hadn’t managed to get the job she’d hoped for. We will still go to Pahalgam but probably stay in a lodge near town rather than try to find the other lodge as we were going to do before.
Dinner was served at 7-30 p.m. and because one of the guys was still feeling sick there was a spare plate at the table. Rita wasn’t very hungry but I got stuck into a really delicious meal of mashed potatoes, fish, cauliflower and rice.
Shortly afterwards Rita and I got a boat to the ‘Sunshine Inne’ which was very crowded for a change. I wasn’t in a very good mood most of the evening and communication with Rita started to get awkward again. We had a toasted sandwich each but didn’t stay as long as I would have liked (the music was very good).
Back on the boat we sat in the living room for a while before Rita went to bed and I smoked the last of my gear which was very pleasant.
Went to bed at 11-15 p.m. and after some tossing and turning (Rita was reading with the light on) I eventually managed to fall asleep.
Saturday July 11th
After waking several times during the morning I eventually got up shortly before 10-00 a.m. feeling surprisingly refreshed. Had a wash and then chatted to Sharon for a while. They had been unable to find the party last night so she had been back by 1-00 a.m.
She also gave me a couple more dexys which saw me through the day very nicely while she took another six and seemed surprised later on when she had heart palpitations I also borrowed a book from her, the classic ‘Tinker, Tailor, Soldier. Spy’ by John LeCarre, which I’d never read before and by the end of the day I’d finished its 369 pages, an enthralling book.
Rita and I had breakfast of scrambled eggs, toast, jam and tea which went down very well. We also talked further about her wish to leave soon but the whole idea seems to have evaporated now. I wish she’d make up her fucking mind. Instead she has decided to come with me to Pahalgam (if I don’t mind) so being both weak-willed and strong at the same time I agreed although with obvious reluctance.
Now that I’m used to the idea it sounds alright, but I’m annoyed at Rita because of her whole attitude which has caused so many hassles. While still on her ‘flying home kick’ she had told me something that would making the separation easier for me (that she’d been to bed with, although she didn’t go the whole way, with a guy in Ibitha). Now that she’s decided to stay that fact only makes things more difficult although I’m not too worried about it.
It was a really beautiful day so at 11-30 a.m. Sharon, Rita, Abrahim and I took the boat out on the lake where Sharon and I had a bash at rowing. Sharon could do it quite well but it took me a while before getting the hang of it. In doing so I used muscles in my arms and shoulders which hadn’t been used for ages so that later they stiffened up a lot.
I also got a few blisters on my hand from not being used to the oar. In all we were out on the lake for over two hours in very intense sunshine and had a great time buzzing around different parts of the lake up to Nehru Park where we could have gone swimming but Sharon was afraid the boat would tip over if we did, so we didn’t.
We all got a touch of sunburn being out in such strong sunshine, Rita across her shoulders, me on my legs and even Sharon (who is quite brown) got burnt on her legs & arms a little.
Returned to the boat at 2-00 p.m. where we relaxed for a while. Sharon & I had a smoke and then I had a shower which was exhilarating, more so through being stoned. I spent the rest of the day in the shade of the living room reading the book Sharon had lent me. It was very good reading and I was only interrupted a few times as other people came in and out.
Rita sat most of the afternoon knitting and reading although we didn’t talk much (there doesn’t seem to be much to say). Sharon was speeding around, unable to slow down, and joined me every so often for a smoke. She also went into town a couple of times to try and burn off some of her energy.
All three of us had dinner together at 7-30 p.m. and ate a delicious combination of chicken, vegetables, dahl and rice. The rest of the evening I sat reading & smoking. I’d also wanted a beer but all the shikaras had sold out by the time I tried to get one, it had been a very hot day.
At 9-30 p.m. Rita went into town for an hour or so to meet her German friends for a while. I really got into the book and managed to finish it in one stint, eventually closing it at 11-45 p.m.
After another smoke I then went to bed and although my brain was still pretty active I was able to get to sleep fairly quickly as my body was quite tired.
Friday July 10th
Woke up several times in a dream-filled night before coming to properly at 10-00 a.m. Rita was also awake and we talked a little more although not having decided much it was very unsettling.
She wants to leave the rearranging of her flights until Monday while I would like to be on the move again by then. I really feel that she is my responsibility and it will be difficult just to leave her here, although of course it’s her decision to go home.
Had some breakfast shortly after 11-00 a.m. and then sat for ages at the breakfast table, firstly talking to Sharon & Rita and then trying to keep my head together enough to write my diary in a fairly detached way. All three of us will be going into town shortly. Sharon has just given me four dexys from a bottle she managed to score from a local chemists, so that should liven my day up although I think it’s probably better at the moment if Rita doesn’t know.
It rained a lot during the night and even in the morning until 10-00 a.m. Later on the sun appeared and it got quite hot but we still had to be careful to avoid the many puddles around town, evidence that the monsoon isn’t really so far away. Sharon split almost as soon as we reached town while Rita & I headed up to the post office and got some postcards sent off to various people.
I also checked post restante but there wasn’t anything there for me. From the post office we walked along the river (which was nice and peaceful) until we reached the main town which was in contrast very busy indeed. We decided to go our own different ways as we both had things to think about (and the dexys were starting to work).
Checked a couple of tailor’s shops but found that to have a tailor-made suit done in Srinagar can be expensive, much more than I’d thought; R900+ for a good suit whereas I was expecting something more like R350-400 which I would have been willing to pay out.
As I wandered around the speed took effect and I got quite out of it for a while. After looking round town I then headed out to the river and started walking along there so I could find some quiet to think things out. Instead I ran into three Kashmiri guys who attend a local college and asked if I’d have a smoke with them.
We sat there for ages having a good blow, watching the local people go by and also getting involved in an interesting conversation with one of the guys who spoke English. Later on at 3-00 a.m. we walked into town but I then left them and headed back to the boulevard area.
Along the way I was stopped and a guy offered to clear the wax out of my ears. I was pretty out of it and it sounded like a good idea although I had some hassle over the price afterwards. He reckoned he found a ‘stone’ in one ear which he showed me although it could have been put in with the wax after its extraction. He wanted R20 originally but I stuck to R5 and afterwards got the feeling that I’d probably been ripped off anyway. My hearing was a bit sharper though.
I then walked back to the boulevard where I went into the ‘music’ restaurant which was packed out with westerners. They were playing all four sides of ‘The Wall’ by Pink Floyd which after not hearing it for so long sounded really good. I sat at a table with an English guy & a German guy and drank a lassi followed by a cup of tea as I read a paper.
Sharon & the German guy’s girlfriend joined us later on and we all sat chatting for ages. At 5-00 p.m. Sharon & I left and wandered around some more before getting a ‘shikara’ back to the houseboat. Once there I joined Rita in the bedroom and we had another long heart to heart talk about our present situation.
She had enquired about fares and discovered that a flight from Srinagar to Delhi would cost another US$45 which is fairly reasonable. She seemed today more willing to back-peddle and try to compromise a bit but I wasn’t really in the mood for that.
The only suggestion I had was that if she liked the houseboat she should stay here for the next couple of weeks while I go off somewhere before we travel down to Delhi together. I said I couldn’t understand why she should want to throw away her chance of seeing some of India by returning earlier.
Rita had also bought a half-bottle of gin which she had been knocking back, maybe to build up her confidence a little. We both have our different ways of forgetting things. We chatted for ages although we didn’t really get anything sorted out. There is still the whole weekend to go for her to make a decision (or rather one she’ll keep to).
I then sat for ages at the dinner table writing while she sat at the front of the boat knitting. There are quite a few new people around, an English girl who has taken Guy’s bed, as he moved on south today, and there are an Australian couple in the other boat. Rita is presently eating her meal although I’m not hungry.
She has arranged to meet Hans this evening but I’m not sure of my plans yet. Sharon is going to a party but is presently on another boat having a smoke and may go direct from there. I may simply have a quiet evening on the boat.
One thing I forgot to mention. Rita had a visit from the police before we returned and until Kawa stepped in they were apparently being really obnoxious to her. They were basically checking passports & visas and are due to return tomorrow, so I won’t have to leave my dope lying around.
I ended up spending the evening on the boat, firstly playing cards with Kawa’s two sons and then sitting out on the front of the boat reading an old Reader’s Digest, smoking a couple of joints and generally enjoying a peaceful evening on the tail-end of the speed.
Don’t know what happened to Sharon but Rita came back at 11-00 p.m. after spending a nice evening in the company of other Germans which she’d enjoyed and surprisingly enough that pleased me. I’d been feeling a bit down from all the hassle being caused at the moment.
After chatting for a while Rita & I were joined by Mr Kawa who looked pretty out of his head himself. After sundry hints from him, as he wanted to close the doors, we went off to our room at 11-45 p.m. We had to walk around the outside of the boat on planks as the English girl had locked her section.
We may also be unable to use the shower and toilet on the other boat as both boats seem to be full, so we’ll be reduced to using our own basic facilities. These consist of an elaborate hole through the boat into the lake (it’s all very sanitary) and several buckets of water to wash ourselves in.
Rita, rather conveniently I thought, went almost straight to sleep while I’m sitting at the table writing and looking every so often at the mirror where I’m confronted by a rather large pair of pupils, sleep will be rather light tonight.
I feel like writing a lot at the moment but the inspiration isn’t quite there for anything of substance. Besides that I’m getting rather pissed off with the whole ‘Rita saga’ so I won’t bore you with my feelings as far as that goes.
The range of boats (and prices) varies tremendously from the basic sort of accommodation Sharon has with the family here to the really classy, deluxe boats which can cost as much as R350-500 a night for two people (still quite reasonable by European standards).
Sitting on the boat one gets the ‘chance’ to buy from various merchants who come your way in their travelling shops. They can be a hassle at first but after a couple of days disinterest they seem to fade away. Meals can normally be had on the boat although this can prove to be expensive (relatively speaking).
It’s getting quite late (1-00 a.m.) and the night-sounds over the lake (dogs barking, people singing & wailing) are moving in. I’ll rest my weary eyes & head for a while although my brain will probably be pretty active for the rest of the night to come. Sleep well, dear reader.
I fell into a restless night’s sleep at 3-00 p.m., although my sub-conscious stayed pretty aware and involved a lot of outside things in my many dreams.
Thursday July 9th
Woke up several times during a night of strange dreams before getting up at nearly 10-00 a.m. when I had a good wash (and a fairly normal shit) before sitting writing for a while.
Rita didn’t wake up until 10-30 a.m. and seems alright. Sharon is outside teaching Kawa’s two sons some English which sounds quite entertaining. We had planned to take some bikes out today and cycle around the lake a little but I’m not sure whether that plan is still on.
At the weekend or early next week Rita and I will probably go up to Palagham and from there to a nearby village where Kate (the English girl) is working at a lodge. We will be able to stay there a week or so before we have to start thinking about getting back to Delhi for the 25th.
I also talked to the English guy who arrived yesterday. He has been staying at this lodge and reckons it is really good with plenty of treks, some interesting ones of which only one or two are really difficult lasting anywhere from a day to a week or so.
Had breakfast at 11-00 a.m. although I was feeling quite nauseous from a Mettifex tablet I’d taken. The toast, eggs and tea didn’t help at all so after breakfast I had to lie down on the bed again for a while as my body sorted itself out. Sharon & Rita decided to go out cycling anyway although I was feeling pretty dead.
They left shortly after midday so I was left to myself and had a very lazy afternoon. I sat outside (although the weather was cloudy and cool) and spent most of the time reading and smoking a couple of joints so that the time drifted by quite pleasantly. Also watched a lot of the action going on nearby as children played, people were ferried one way and another, along with the merchants making their way around the different houseboats.
At 4-00 p.m. the sun came out and the clouds cleared for an hour or two. The English guy returned (his name is in fact Guy) and we sat around talking, smoking another joint and drinking some tea until the girls returned shortly before 6-00 p.m. They had a good time and managed to cycle around the lake, taking in some local sights along the way.
Apparently the going is meant to be quite flat so they didn’t have too hard a time. When I’m feeling fitter again I’ll have to take a bike out as well. Sharon, Guy and I had a couple more smokes before I went and had a shower at 6-30 p.m. It was really refreshing and livened me up a little (I’d been feeling a bit listless after such a lazy and stoned afternoon).
I also put on my jeans and a fresh T-shirt much to Rita’s delight. We had dinner all together (the four of us) at 7-30 p.m. and it turned out to be another very tasty meal of rice, mutton & vegetable stew and stewed spinach. We then all sat outside for a while and as my hair was still wet, Rita had a go at trimming it for me. This caused a lot of amusement for the local kids who always seem to be scattered around somewhere nearby.
She made a good job of it and it looks a little neater although I’ll have to get a proper job done when I return to England. At 8-30 p.m. on the spur of the moment we decided to go into town and get a coffee at one of the restaurants. Abrahim took us on his boat and we were soon on dry land again. We went to a nearby restaurant where Rita met Hans and sat with him and some other Germans.
Sharon, Guy & I went up to the other end where the music was better and we drank coffee, still pretty stoned and listened to Supertramp, Crime of the Century, which sounded really good. After a while we decided to head over to the Sunshine Inne where we could have a smoke, listen to music and also eat banana fritters & custard (really good munchies material).
I told Rita where we were going (although she obviously didn’t understand) and we hung around for ages before getting a boat the short distance across the water. After checking the restaurant again and finding Hans and Rita had gone we decided to go across anyway. We stayed there until 11-00 p.m. and had a really good smoke which blew my brains out and left us all pretty dazed.
On our return to the houseboat we found Rita, who’d got back fifteen minutes before us having failed to find the restaurant (which she assumed was on dry land). After another smoke with Sharon I went to bed and was later joined by Rita with whom I then had quite a long chat about how things are going, which as I’d gathered didn’t seem to be so good from her side.
I’d expected her to make some decision about the future but nothing as drastic as what she seems to have decided to do. She has decided that the best thing for her to do now would be to fly home a couple of weeks early. I couldn’t agree with her reasoning at all but eventually agreed for her sake that it might be for the best.
We had a long discussion but it would be impossible to detail everything and it all boils down to the fact that we are basically very different people whose aims in life don’t seem to coincide very much. I knew that this holiday would make us think a lot more drastically about the future but never realised that things would happen so suddenly.
Rita also wants me to read her diary tomorrow so that I can see how she has been thinking over the past few days. If I do read it that could be quite a harrowing experience. I eventually got to sleep at 1-30 a.m. after doing a lot of thinking and plenty of talking.
Wednesday July 8th
After a restless night I slept quite well until 11-00 a.m. when I got up for a while and had some breakfast of dry toast and black tea.
Rita had been up since 9-00 a.m. and Sharon had gone to the bank, although both of them had dodgy stomachs as well. After breakfast I took another Mettifax (which had eventually stopped the shits for a while this morning) and then went back to bed as I was feeling pretty groggy.
I slept until nearly 3-00 p.m. and then got up to join the other two in the living room for the rest of the afternoon. We were all feeling a little better although weakened by the illness and spent a lazy time drinking tea, eating biscuits and reading. I wrote a couple of postcards and my diary, although there doesn’t seem much to write about today.
It is already 6-00 p.m. and the weather is starting to cloud over after a really hot day (although I’ve been in the shade most of the time). Another guy has come to stay on the boat and will be staying in the room next to ours. Maybe Rita will find someone else to talk to, although she seems much livelier today anyway and if anything happier than she’s been for a while.
Rita has ordered a meal for later on but my appetite hasn’t really returned so I may just have a nibble of hers if I get really hungry. Haven’t really felt like a smoke yet today but as the evening approaches I may feel a little more tempted to roll one up.
We had a smoke (Sharon and I) so that by the time the meal arrived at 7-30 p.m. I was getting quite hungry. The food which they provided for two fed the three of us quite well and it didn’t seem to upset our stomachs too much. We had rice with a potato ‘curry’, cooked cabbage and a side dish of fish which all proved to be really delicious.
The rest of the evening we spent in the living room reading, talking and drinking a bottle of beer each which we’d got for R10 each from a salesman. With the beer and a couple more smokes things got quite spacey and Sharon and I had a really good conversation although Rita wouldn’t let herself be drawn in too much. She remained quite aloof although still friendly as she spent most of the time doing some knitting.
Sharon went to bed at 10-30 p.m. and I then had a pleasant talk with Rita although she is now much more reluctant to talk about things as honestly as we did in the first week. I really can’t understand the way she thinks sometimes although I do try hard to communicate with her.
We went to bed at 11-30 p.m. after some more talking although there is still a gulf between us which makes things difficult.
Tuesday July 7th
After another night full of strange dreams about the future I woke up at 9-30 a.m. with my stomach feeling a bit loose and my head all over the place.
Rita woke up as well and after talking for a while I went and had a shower to clear my head a bit. I then sat for ages trying to write, which I’m finding at the moment needs much more concentration than normal. At 11-00 a.m. we had breakfast as per normal, fried eggs, toast & jam and a large pot of tea.
I tried to write some postcards and my diary as Rita went for a shower. We are due to meet this guy today to have a look around the workshop and factory of his firm. Neither of us are very keen on going and will almost certainly not buy anything although it could be interesting looking around.
At 12-30 p.m. Sharon & I both made up a joint which we smoked and this put me on a much better level to go and meet the guy. Rita and I caught a boat at 12-45 p.m. across to the boulevard. We were taken by Kawa & his son Abrahim (who did most of the rowing).
We then made our way over to the Post Office which took quite a long time, especially as I was pretty out of it. We arrived for our 1-00 p.m. appointment a few minutes late and the guy had already been waiting for a while. I was in a totally different frame of mind and was off-handed most of the afternoon, although I found the show he and his brother put on quite amusing.
Having walked for ages we then caught a bus before arriving at the warehouse and packing room of the company. The door was opened by an old guy who looked as though he was more suited to a scene from Dracula’s Castle. As we were shown around the brothers also assumed their roles; big brother (our guide) was the salesman, second brother was his assistant while the third acted as tea-boy and general busybody.
The display of goods went on for ages and we looked at hundreds of things which the company sells abroad ranging from papier mache boxes to wooden figures to carpets and chip turquoise bangles to bed sheets. Eventually at 4-00 p.m. we were served with some strange sort of tea with Tibetan bread (which was delicious).
Rita bought a few little things as presents although after acting the way I’d been (so non-committal) I couldn’t very well get anything. She got seven small highly decorated papier mache boxes. After he’d slowly written out a bill for these few items we managed to get out of the warehouse at least although our faithful guide insisted on walking us back.
It was in fact a very interesting way back through parts of the old city, along the banks of another river and along Dalgate back to the lakeside. By then the guy had taken the hint somehow and knew we were fed up so he left us without further mention of the big lunch we’d been offered or his accompanying us to Moghul Gardens.
We went for a drink at a nearby restaurant before getting a boat back to the Wild Rose. The weather on the walk back had been really beautiful although we weren’t really in a mood to appreciate it and both of us felt pretty dazed by the whole experience. Back on the houseboat we joined Sharon at the front in the remains of the sun.
Rita did some knitting to unwind and I had another smoke with Sharon. Abrahim was at the very end of the boat doing some fishing and managed to catch several quite large fish which provided some amusement. At 7-00 p.m. Rita went to lie down for a while and have a rest. As I later discovered she hasn’t been feeling too well, partly because of her period.
On comparing notes Sharon, Rita & I have all got the shits and quite badly. Sharon’s is partly a reaction to coming off opium for a while, mine is due to some sort of infection. Hopefully I haven’t caught dysentery or something.
We’d all decided to go to a nearby restaurant by boat but when I woke Rita shortly after 8-00 p.m. she said she didn’t feel well enough to come along so she stayed on the boat for the evening. In the meantime Sharon and I went to the restaurant, rowed again by Abrahim, to a floating place called ‘Sunshine Inc’, where we had a couple of good smokes and dug into lots of munchies materials.
Had a good time out of our heads listening to some pretty weird music, a mixture of some really spacey stuff and Country & Western. There were also a couple of young Irish girls across from us although we didn’t get into any great and detailed conversations. At 10-30 p.m. we paid our bills and hailed a boat to take us back ‘home’.
We were picked up by a friendly old guy (who we’ve seen shooting up and down the lake a lot) and he charged us the proper price of R1 to take us in his rather classy speed-machine. Back at the ‘Wild Rose’ Sharon and I sat in the living room having another smoke before going to bed although our nights were badly disturbed by the shits.
I have been kept awake by a couple of pretty bad attacks so after taking four medical coal tablets I am sitting writing for a while to give my stomach time to settle down. As I write it is 2-30 a.m. and Rita is now soundly asleep although she was very restless earlier on.
When I got back she was still awake and had been writing her diary. She seemed very quiet and depressed but I don’t seem to be able to do much to help her. Later on (when I was half-asleep) I heard her crying before she wandered about the boat for a time smoking to settle herself. Since we arrived here things haven’t been going as smoothly between us and I’m at a loss as to what I should do (except maybe stop smoking).
She seems to be making herself lonely and fed-up but then cutting herself off so no-one can help. Although I enjoy Sharon’s company it’s a little unfortunate that at the moment we seem to be spending more time together and have more in common that Rita and I do.
When Rita is feeling like she does at the moment it makes me feel a right bastard and I blame myself a little for not considering her properly as I should do. I still feel as though I have to protect her although she should grow up in that way someday soon. Alright enough, it’s now 2-45 a.m. and after another cigarette I’ll try and get some more sleep (if my stomach allows).
In the end I didn’t get to sleep until much later, around 5-30 a.m. and it was already light.
Monday July 6th
Woke up at 10-15 a.m. after a good night’s dreamy sleep although my brain felt a bit muzzy.
After a good wash we had breakfast for which I had fried eggs, plenty of toast & strawberry jam and several teas. Since then we’ve been basically lazing around. Rita has been sitting outside reading my diary about Thailand. I’ve been writing my diary and have also had a good smoke already with Sharon which has left me rather high.
It is now 1-30 p.m. and I should get over to the Post Office this afternoon to post my college letter and check Post Restante for any incoming mail. Rita decided not to go into town as she wanted a lazy day relaxing on the boat. Sharon wanted to get some aerogrammes so we got a boat across to the boulevard at 2-00 p.m. (after another smoke).
The weather was beautiful, almost like a hot summer’s day in Europe because of the freshness in the air. The sky was almost clear with very few clouds around. This led later on to a beautifully clear and cool evening with the new moon growing from the sliver it had been a couple of days ago and stars twinkling brightly against a pitch black background.
After getting the boat across (50 paise for two) we wandered into town having quite a laugh as we were both pretty stoned. We walked out to the Post Office where things seemed chaotic and it took ages to sort through all the muddle and get things done. After half-an-hour though I’d managed to get stamps for my letter to college and also discovered that no letters have arrived for me yet at Post Restante (a pretty disorganised one).
Sharon also managed to get her aerogrammes before we wandered back to the boulevard area, stopping off for a while for a cup of tea at a roadside stall. We then went and bought a few things. I got a half-bottle of rum for Rita (quite expensive at R32), some postcards which I should get written in the next couple of days, a supply of cigarettes and half a kilo of apples (R4), the first I’ve been able to buy for ages.
In addition, Sharon bought some apricots and chocolate as well as a treat. She is quite a character with a pretty heavy background (especially with drugs) but she seems to be a survivor and has got her head screwed on alright. At the moment she doesn’t have so much money but is still having a good time teaching Kawa’s two sons English in the mornings (they’ll speak with broad Melbourne accents soon) and getting stoned the rest of the day.
At 4-00 p.m. we got a boat back to the Wild Rose. I really enjoyed the trip across, looking at the water and the life that was going on amongst the weeds so near to the surface. The sunny weather really seemed to bring everything to life and I could see many small fish swimming amongst the green plants that grow just under the surface and sometimes cause difficulties as boats get stuck trying to traverse their path.
Back on the boat Sharon and I had a couple more smokes and were joined by Rita for a while, although at 6-00 p.m. she went back to bed for a rest from her lazy day. She had spent most of the afternoon sitting out in the sunshine, knitting, reading and fending off merchants.
Had a fairly lazy late afternoon & early evening getting pretty out of it, watching the sunset and all the activity of different boats & people going to and fro on the lake. Sharon also did some fishing and caught a few small fish which she says are really tasty to eat.
We also chatted quite a bit and I learnt a bit about her background, really interesting although she’s been through a lot in the last few years. I’d decided to have some dinner as the munchies were coming on hard although Rita said she wasn’t hungry so we only ordered one (R15) while Sharon also had some as a reward for her teaching.
Our meal arrived at 9-00 p.m. and was really delicious and spicy. Rita had a little bit but I ate the most as I was starving. It was basically a rice meal with cauliflower in a vegetable sauce and some tasty veggy ‘protein’ steaks. Really got stuck into the meal and filled myself up although with the apples and apricots I’d eaten my stomach got a little unsettled later on.
The rest of the evening we spent at the front of the boat playing various card games which were great fun, especially when stoned. Sharon and I had a couple more smokes while Rita got stuck into the rum which tasted very nice mixed with sugar and water.
We all went to bed, after a relaxing and enjoyable evening, at 11-30 p.m. and being quite tired I went to sleep really quickly.
Sunday July 5th
Woke up quite early at 8-30 a.m. after a good night’s rest. Had a really cold shower which bought me to life again and I then sat for an hour writing my diary.
Rita woke up at 10-00 a.m. and after she’d had a shower we sat chatting for a while before going over to the other boat (the Wild Rose) where we’ve decided to stay for a week or so. I had to fill out an agreement form & discovered that we also have to pay 10% service tax on top of the R50 a night.
Had breakfast which was very tasty and included a large pot of tea, two plates of toast and an omelette each. After that we sat in the living room and had a look at the wares of two merchants (friends of the owner). First we looked at some shawls, shirts & carpets which were beautifully hand-embroidered and then at a selection of set stones, bangles and boxes.
We weren’t exactly big buyers (Rita bought a bangle for R3) but it was interesting looking at all the different things they had. I may even have a plain silk/cotton shirt made for me, later on. By the time we had finished ‘window-shopping’ it was already 1-30 p.m.
The rest of the afternoon was spent making ourselves at home and getting a few essential things done. The boat is quite impressive. We have a nice double room near the back of the houseboat with a connecting bathroom & toilet. There is one other bedroom on the boat which is now unoccupied but normally we would share the dining room & living room at the front of the boat with any occupants of the other room.
Rita spent a couple of hours doing some washing which included most of my clothes as I haven’t had a chance to do any recently. We hung the various articles of clothing from different parts of the boat.
The weather was beautiful with hot sunshine and very few clouds. I sat outside for a while soaking up the sun and getting the letter written to Hull College of Further Education about the BA course in Business Studies. Also chatted to various people who ‘dropped by’ during the afternoon.
During the day there seems to be a lot of action on the waterways although in the evening it is very quiet (especially after Bombay & Delhi). As I write this latest addition to my diary it is already 5-00 p.m. and I am now sitting in the shade of our room while Rita sits outside (on a section at the front of the boat) taking her share of sunshine.
Later on we got a boat to the nearest point on the boulevard. The short ride takes about five minutes and normally costs R1 for the two of us. It seemed strange to be back on dry land again, even after only a day on the boat. We suddenly realised that we were back in a town of nearly 300,000 people and were hit by the noise of the traffic especially.
We walked the kilometre or so out to the old city and were joined along the way by various people who wanted us to see their factories or join them ‘just for a cup of tea’. The people are very different here (with a large muslim influence) and I felt a bit lost, not knowing how to handle them properly.
Had a good look around the old city which was quite interesting although it was a bit bemusing with so many people around and so many varied reactions to our presence. We went into a couple of restaurants but the first one was too dirty and the second only served snacks so we kept on walking back towards the lakefront.
On the way we were joined by a middle-aged guy who was very pleasant, spoke a very proper English (although rather limited) and we had a good chat. He had been a lawyer but upon his father’s death had taken over the family export business. When he therefore invited us for tea I knew what the end result would be, although Rita didn’t catch on and therefore the invitation was accepted.
We walked for ages, firstly along the Jhelum river and then across it and through numerous side-streets before we reached his residence. He had a large house, beautifully designed & furnished, set in a garden with a lawn and many fruit trees. We sat in the living room and had tea & biscuits (served by his two brothers) and a rather limited (stilted) conversation.
By this I mean that I had to slip into a rather posh & forced way of speaking. Rita later said that she hadn’t realised I could be such an actor and conversationalist. She had never seen me before in such a situation. At last we came round to the point of his inviting us back although he wasn’t pushy at all because of his nature and the nature of his business (a family firm founded in 1880).
We were just shown some incredibly intricately woven wool & cotton bed covers which they normally sell wholesale along with many other articles. Despite myself I was quite impressed with the artistry of them and also the very reasonable prices.
Agreed to meet him on Tuesday at 1-00 p.m. in front of the General Post Office so we can have a look at some more things. Although one can never tell this guy seems pretty genuine and not a cheat as many of them obviously are. After we’d seen the bed-covers we excused ourselves and were escorted back to the lakefront which was a good half-an-hour’s walk.
We shook hands, parted company and headed for a nearby restaurant. We hadn’t walked a hundred yards when the houseboat guy, Kawa, caught up with us and asked who the guy had been. I told him it was a lawyer we had met so as not to worry him about his loss of commission if we buy something later on.
Went to quite a flash veggy restaurant for a snack where we sat for a while listening to some good music (Eagles). Rita had a tomato sandwich, I had a vegetable cutlet and we both drank lassis.
At 10-00 p.m. after some hassle getting a boat (they all wanted R3) we headed back to the Wild Rose where I finally paid the guy R1-50. We went into the living room where Sharon (the Australian girl) was sitting. She had some hash which Kawa had got hold of for me, a tola of excellent stuff for R50.
I made up one joint & Sharon another one which we smoked and got quite blasted. Rita was still reluctant to try any although she’d said she wants to sometime. We had a laugh chatting about various things before we were joined by Kawa who killed the conversation a little.
Sharon went to bed at 11-00 p.m. and Rita gave up trying to understand Kawa’s ‘shoptalk’ about half-an-hour later. Kawa and I sat and chatted for ages, smoking another joint which he made.
The conversation was quite interesting when I managed to steer it the way I wanted. They regard Kashmir as an independent country suppressed by an Indian army (which muslims can’t join). The population here consists of 95% muslim & 5% hindu which makes for incredible religious and social differences with the rest of India.
He managed to always get the conversation round to some ‘sales point’ whether it was touring a mosque, going to Moghal gardens or the effects of inflation and how he can save us money.
I went to bed at nearly 1-00 a.m. after an interesting evening. Rita woke up and despite being very stoned we managed to have quite an intelligible talk which raised a few questions about any future we have together. She seems really keen on this college idea although that would mean permanent separation.
My feelings are still mixed about going so I’ll let time do the decision-making for me. Rita also had a smoke of another joint I made but didn’t seem to have enough to really hit her.
Went to sleep at 1-30 a.m.
Saturday July 4th
Woke up at 1-00 a.m. because there was so much noise from the station we had stopped at. Rita was also awake so we had a couple of teas to quench our thirst from the meal (which had been very spicy). Rita went to sleep again quite quickly but I was unable to sleep again for a long time.
Instead I did a lot of thinking and later on even drafted a letter about the BA course which I’ll try to get written once we’re settled in Kashmir. If by some chance I was accepted for the course then I’d have to stop dreaming and decide whether the whole idea was practically possible.
Got back to sleep at 3-30 a.m. and slept well until 6-00 a.m. when Rita woke me up. I felt pretty groggy but before I knew it we’d arrived in Jammu so I had to spur myself into action.
It is now 7-30 a.m. and I am sitting on the steps near to the station with Hans (a young German guy) while Rita queues for our bus tickets (she had to do some work sometime). The queue is a long one and she has already been there nearly an hour although she is now nearing the front of the queue.
We have been informed (reliably or not I don’t know) that the trip to Srinagar lasts twelve hours so it will be good to have someone meeting us there and taking us to the houseboat.
Rita has just got back with the tickets, shortly after 8-00 a.m. so we should be off soon (hopefully). We had reserved seats on an ‘A’ class bus which cost R30-50 each and was due to leave at 8-30 a.m. Having got our bags stowed on top of the bus we boarded it and took our seats although it didn’t leave until after 9-00 a.m.
The journey took eleven hours in all and was quite a comfortable and enjoyable ride. In all the distance between Jammu & Srinagar was just over 300 Kms. A lot of it involved winding roads up into the hills and along various river valleys. The scenery became increasingly spectacular as we wound our way deeper into the mountains & valleys leading up to the Kashmir Valley along which we travelled for the last third of our journey.
Made several stops along the way for refreshment. Normally we just had some tea but at one stop we also had some salad and chapattis, which were really tasty. We also had a lively crew which included two drivers (taking turns along the winding & sometimes dangerous roads) and a couple of younger guys as assistants.
There was a beautifully chalked notice at the front of the bus written in both Hindi and English which said ’no smoking’ but as the crew were smoking most of the time they had no objections to us doing so as well.
The road was littered with the remains of landslides and there were many groups of workers along the way repairing parts of the road which had fallen away or bridges that needed strengthening. At times the driving was pretty hair-raising, made worse by the fact that we were sitting near the front of the bus.
We saw many advisory signs telling drivers to slow down and be careful. We saw the scene of one bad accident where a vehicle had crashed through one of the protecting walls and into the valley and a couple of trucks were there towing it out. There was also evidence of a large military presence in the province (due to its proximity to Pakistan).
This was especially noticeable for the first half of the journey where there were many army checkpoints along the road and each town or village had its own army camp so that soldiers sometimes seemed to outnumber civilians. There were also many army trucks along the road and many soldiers on the numerous buses travelling to and from Srinagar.
The weather was very variable along the way. We started off in heavy cloud cover but later on this broke up a lot and we were treated to several hours of beautiful sunshine. As we neared Srinagar the clouds returned with some high winds and rain which made it seem quite cold.
When we arrived I donned my cardigan for the first time since Darjeeling. Later on in the evening it rained quite heavily but more of that then. The last third of our journey was the most impressive as we climbed up to the highest point on the highway at nearly 8000 ft. before passing through a long tunnel which had been driven straight through the mountainside.
We emerged on the other side and caught our first glimpses of the beautifully lush green Kashmir Valley. The lower ground was well irrigated and consisted largely of rice fields and other corn crops. The houses were also fascinating with most of them being in the same style (if a little more sophisticated) as Nepalese buildings.
After a very enjoyable journey we arrived at the bus station in Srinagar at 8-00 p.m. only to be pounced upon by many agents trying to get us to stay at their houseboats. We searched in vain for a representative of the company through which we had booked our first night. The agents were all very clever offering us many different terms to go with them.
I went into the tourist reception centre where I found out that the correct price for a ‘C’ category room (without breakfast) was R40 so we then had a little more idea of our bargaining position. We were ‘taken into protection’ by one of the guys at the tourist desk only to be released to an agent a little later who proved to be cleverer than the rest (although still quite helpful & friendly).
He had a card from ‘Kashmir Himalayan’ (among many others) and we went along with him although we ended up going to one of his three houseboats and getting a place there. We went first with a tri-shaw and then on one of the small ‘Venice-type’ ferry boats which took us to the ‘Wild Rose’ (one of over 800 houseboats on Dal Lake).
Our host (Gulam Kawa) showed us around the boats and we sat for a while drinking tea on his ‘B’ category boat (normal cost R90 incl. breakfast) where he said we could stay for our first night. It was really classy with a lovely bedroom with attached bathroom, a dining room and beautiful living room.
We were also shown his ‘C’ category boat on which we’ll probably stay from tomorrow. It is also quite adequate with the same basic facilities. If we decide to stay for a week or so then the guy has offered us a room (it becomes vacant tomorrow) for R50 a night including breakfast for us both.
After sitting talking to him for a while we had a wash before joining an English guy (from Surrey), an Australian girl and a French guy on the other boat. The girls had a small room in which we sat. I had a couple of really enjoyable smokes with them which got me nicely stoned for the first time in over a week.
Played cards for a while (Blackjack) in which Rita also took part. The game went on for ages and was really amusing. I then chatted with the English girl for a while (I’ve forgotten names as always). She has been here for quite a long time (India, I mean) but returns to England in September to go to university where she’ll study the psychology of language which sounds intriguing.
Shortly after midnight we drank a tea before returning to our deluxe bedroom for the night. I lay there for ages, feeling really relaxed after the smoke, although Rita got a little annoyed because of my lack of physical reaction to her. We did chat for a while but she hasn’t learnt how to handle me properly when I’m stoned.
Went to sleep at 1-00 a.m.
Friday July 3rd
Woke up once at 8-30 a.m. and then again at nearly 10-15 a.m., disturbed by all the building work going on around us.
Had a wash and started packing in preparation for our move north today. My packing was quickly completed although my clothes all need washing once we reach Kashmir. Rita took a little longer getting prepared but we were both ready by 11-30 a.m. We had a last cigarette before going downstairs and checking out of the hotel.
I paid the bill and we left our luggage with reception so that we could go into town for a couple of hours. The weather was absolutely stifling with very high humidity, a haze over the city and only a slight cooling breeze.
It was really uncomfortable to be walking around so we made our way as quickly as possible to Connaught Place when we took a short breather (literally) and had a milk shake each. Rita had pineapple and I had vanilla which was delicious.
We then checked at the airline coach office on the times of buses going out to the airport and found me which will suit our purpose on the 25th, it goes at 18-45. To escape the heat we then went underground to the air conditioned bazaar where conditions were much cooler.
Wandered around for a while looking at the various shops before stopping at a Chinese restaurant where we had a meal to fill the gap before our journey up to Srinagar. I had sweet & sour vegetable while Rita had a chicken chow mein.
By the time we had finished eating it was nearly 1-30 p.m. so we headed back into the heat and towards the railway station. Once there I checked our tickets and found that we’d got berths alright in coach E nos. 50 & 53 (both lower berths).
After a coffee we walked back to the hotel and collected our luggage, drinking a refreshing glass of water there before going back to the station again. We arrived back there at 3-00 p.m. and made our way across to platform 7 where our train was due to leave.
I bought some reading material for the train, a newspaper (Times of India R0-50) and a magazine (India Today R4). We also got chatting to a young German guy heading in the same direction and later on saw a few other young westerners trying to locate their places on the train as well.
Spent ages wandering up & down the platform trying to locate our carriage. Eventually found it near the front of the train at 4-00 p.m. and fetched Rita and the luggage so that we were safely on board when the train left promptly at 4-15 p.m.
The journey was pretty uneventful and I spent the first three hours or so reading the newspaper & magazine I’d bought. Also ordered a meal but as it worked out I didn’t need it and it never arrived either. Instead we were invited to join the two Indian families travelling with us and had a delicious vegetarian meal with chapattis.
The two families were travelling together to Kashmir with their numerous children who seemed to spend half their time clambering over us and shouting at the tops of their voices. We had the meal at 7-30 p.m. and then at 9-30 p.m. we got all the berths ready and went to bed.
I got to sleep quite quickly and was dead to the world by 10-00 p.m.
Thursday July 2nd
I woke up first at 8-15 a.m. after a good night’s sleep and had a refreshing shower to wake me up properly. Sat around reading my paper before Rita woke up at 9-00 a.m.
We ordered a couple of teas which we drank in the room before going downstairs at 9-45 a.m. to wait for the bus which would later take us on our sightseeing tour. Thinking about it later it was the first tour of its kind that I’d ever been on during my various travels and it certainly turned out to be an amusing experience (although also very tiring).
The bus arrived at 10-00 a.m. and we were soon on board for our magical mystery tour of Delhi. Our touring companions were mostly Indians although there were also a young Israeli couple who we got chatting to later on. It would be impossible to go through the trip in any sort of order (on paper anyway) as we saw so many different things which eventually became a huge blur.
It was a bit like a comedy show with the guide speaking very fast, monotonous ‘Indian’ English which was difficult even for me to understand. When we weren’t travelling along in the bus swivelling our heads from right to left to see various sights we were getting on and off the bus for periods varying from ten minutes to three-quarters of an hour.
The bus wasn’t exactly of our ‘luxury’ standard and when the guide wasn’t talking our eardrums took a bashing from some very loud Indian music which was blasted from a loudspeaker at the front of the bus. Despite all the disadvantages though, we were taken to some very interesting places (and some not so interesting), a few of which I’ll try to describe.
Jama Masjid, a beautifully constructed mosque made from coloured marble which was built in the 17th century. It is beautifully maintained and we had a good look around the various altars & gardens (in bare feet of course). There was a prevalence of symbols in the temple, which are found all over India in many religious places, looking strangely like swastikas. I used to think there was some connection and that Hitler had used the symbol as well for some religious purpose.
Qawat-ul-Islam mosque is an old temple at the centre of a whole series of ruins dating back to the 5th century. The whole construction must have looked fantastic and even today looks fascinating with various different remains including a tower which was originally seven ‘stories’ high but now only consists of five, still pretty impressive.
In the centre of the ruins was a tall metal cylinder dating from the C5th made out of non-rusting metal. The story goes that if you can join hands round it, standing backwards, then you’ll be world famous one day. Needless to say I couldn’t do it. This place and the newer temple already mentioned I found to be the most interesting sights we visited.
We also saw the Nehru Memorial, Gandhi Memorial, Shantivan, Mumayan’s Tomb, Cottage Industries museum and lastly the Red Fort which looked really impressive on the outside with its red sandstone walls but was a little disappointing once we got inside.
From the bus many things were also pointed out to us such as the embassy area, India Gate and the open-air railway museum. They certainly managed to cram a lot of sightseeing into one day although it all got a bit too much towards the end of the tour. All the Indian tourists seemed quite happy with it though.
It was certainly a splendid way to see a lot of things very fast but in the end the mind becomes a little dulled by it all. We were eventually unceremoniously dumped at Connaught Place and had to walk back to the hotel which took us twenty minutes so that we arrived back at the hotel at 5-30 p.m. (official tour end-time).
Both of us were quite tired and had a rest for a while before I took a shower. We then sat around reading for ages. I read a very interesting article in the Guardian about a BA course being run in business studies. It lasts for four years and includes practical experience in Hull and Munster. It leads to a degree both in Germany and England although four years is a long time.
It was getting late before either of us realised the time. Rita wasn’t hungry so at 8-45 p.m. I went off on my own to get something to eat. It was good to be alone for a while again and after wandering about I found a south Indian restaurant where I ate my fill for R2-50. I had a ‘special dosa’ which is a sort of thin pancake filled with potato, peas & salad along with several tasty sauces of which you could eat as much as you wanted.
I then wandered through the bazaar, stopping once at an Allurvedic chemists to enquire about some special tooth powder. I bought some Chaywanprash (health tonic) the other day for R11 (250 ml) which I’m now taking three times a day. It may be purely in the mind but I’m certainly feeling healthier because of it.
Tonight I bought some special tooth powder to help against paradontose (pyorrhea) as my gums have been getting very tender & sore again recently. Hopefully with the new toothbrush I bought as well it will help.
On the way back to the hotel I also bought ½ kg of lichees (fruit) for R5 which on my return Rita and I ate. They were delicious. Rita also bought some apple juice which we drank so we should be bouncing with vitamins soon (or get the raging shits).
We also had a long talk and got a few more age-old problems out into the open and in so doing clarified how we felt about each other and life in general. We are certainly finding it easier to talk with each other openly here and also without the aid of alcohol, which we often needed in Frankfurt before things were said (and then often misunderstood).
Talked for a couple of hours before Rita did some reading and I wrote for a while. It is now 1-30 a.m. and although I’m tired I will probably try drafting a letter (about the BA course) before going to bed. Tomorrow we should be heading on up to Kashmir and hopefully be able to take at least a two week break in the sunshine before making any decisions about my future.
Went to bed at 2-00 a.m. (didn’t get the letter done).
Wednesday July 1st
The start of yet another month and the year is already half gone. Unbelievable that so much has happened in those six months but time just seems to have whizzed by. I wonder what the next six months will have in store for me and whether they’ll pass equally as fast.
I didn’t wake up until after 10-00 a.m. because we hadn’t got to sleep until late (2-00 a.m.). This was due firstly to an invasion of small insects which we had to deal with by spraying the room with a spray Rita had with her and secondly to the fact that I must have been allergic to the spray so that I couldn’t stop sneezing for ages, developing something like hay-fever for a while.
When I did sleep though I slept well and woke up fairly refreshed. Later on I made a request to the ‘management’ to cover a couple of large-mesh grilles so that the insects couldn’t get in. Although at first I thought the guy hadn’t understood, when we returned in the evening my request had been complied with so hopefully there won’t be a repeat of the problem tonight.
Today was basically for organising things and as such it was successful. We left the hotel at 11-00 a.m. and went first to the railway station to try and make a reservation for a train to Jammu on Friday. After some messing about filling out forms and making enquiries I was eventually successful in obtaining bookings for Friday on a special train, put on for the summer rush, which leaves at 16-15 and arrives early the next morning.
We must return a little earlier on the day the train leaves to check where we’ve been put on the train. While all this was going on Rita sat down and got talking to a Sikh guy, Suni, who we met again later in town. He had a tri-shaw and was connected with a firm called ‘Kashmir Himalayan Expeditions’ which possesses houseboats in the Srinagar area. More of that later.
Left the station at 12-15 p.m. and started to walk into the centre of New Delhi, a walk of some twenty minutes. Once there we went into a shop, which I’d remembered from last time I was here, where I had a nice pint of milk and Rita had a pineapple milk shake. Suitably refreshed we went to the post office and posted various letters; Rita’s to her parents, my card to divert any mail from Calcutta to Srinagar and my diary to Jan.
Also bought five aerogrammes for Rita and discovered how high the newly applied postal increases really were. An aerogramme which would have cost R1-60 yesterday now costs R2-70. The cost of an ordinary overseas letter hasn’t risen quite so steeply, the diary cost R12-30 as opposed to R9-15 before for the same weight. This all illustrates though how inflation is ravaging the Indian economy. The annual rate is presently 20%.
We then went back to the bank where Rita changed another US$100 T/Chq at a branch of Grindlays Bank. They were incredibly slow. After that we wandered around for a while trying to locate the Air India office so I could book my ticket to Frankfurt and Rita could enquire about the cost of a ticket from Delhi to Bombay.
It was after half-an-hour of walking about in the intense humidity of the early afternoon that we ran into Suni again. He persuaded us to go with him and at least have a look at the prospect of booking a houseboat. If we did he promised to take us to the Air India office as well, which was conveniently nearby.
Sped off into the traffic (almost literally) and within five minutes were at the shop cum office of the ‘houseboat company’. We chatted for a while over a cup of tea to the owner, a young Kashmir guy whose father in fact owned the houseboats and a very well educated young Indian who works for him.
They were very nice and we agreed to take a place on one of the boats for our first night in Srinagar at least. This will cost R60 with breakfast for a ‘C’ category ‘room’, which I was led to believe includes a bedroom, living room & dining room plus the services of several ‘servants’ who live on a separate boat nearby. If it’s as good as it sounds we may well stay there for the duration of our time there, we’ll see.
At 2-20 p.m. we were driven to the Indian Airlines office where Rita got a ticket to Bombay alright leaving at 8-30 p.m. on the 25th. The flight takes 1¾ hours and should leave plenty of time for her to connect with the flight back to Frankfurt which leaves Bombay at 1-20 a.m. on the 26th. The cost was US$81 or R715 which is expensive but saves all the hassle and time involved if she’d had to get the train down there.
We then went to the Air India office where, after waiting half-an-hour or so, I got my reservation made as well. I also managed to get a flight alright although mine leaves a little later at 8-55 a.m. on the 26th. It will be quite a long flight stopping at Bombay, Rome and then Frankfurt at 5-00 p.m. on the Sunday afternoon.
At 4-30 p.m. we headed back towards the railway station so that I could try to book our return tickets from Jammu for the 24th arriving in New Delhi on the morning of the 25th. On the way we stopped at a magazine shop which stocked international mags. and newspapers. I managed to get an airmail copy of yesterday’s Guardian for only R10.
At the station I bought tickets from Jammu to New Delhi and got a wire sent to book berths for the 24th. We got back to the hotel shortly after 6-00 p.m. and made enquiries about various tours which we could take tomorrow. Jaipur seemed out of the question as it involves a one-night stay and Agra (for Rita) would involve a very long day with a lot of travelling and a little sightseeing.
We booked instead the Delhi & New Delhi tour for R12 each which leaves at 9-30 a.m. and returns at 5-30 p.m. We will be picked up from the hotel tomorrow morning.
After a hectic day in which we’d got everything organised alright (or rather I did) we rested for a while and freshened up with a cooling shower. I also read some of the Guardian paper I’d bought earlier, before a power-cut plunged the room into darkness. Shortly afterwards, at 7-15 p.m. we went again to get some food.
I took Rita through the bazaar, which was bustling with life, and back to some of the haunts of my first time in Delhi. We had dinner at a street-side restaurant I’d been to before. We had a really filling meal consisting of chicken masala, fried dahl, egg & potato curry and two fruit juices each + mango & orange. It was all excellent.
Halfway through the meal we were again plunged into darkness as another power-cut hit. We’d already got our supply of chapattis so we were able to keep eating. The meal was excellent and really good value. With our stomachs weighing us down, we waddled back through the bazaar again, stopping only for a fruit beer (non-alcoholic) before retiring to the room at 9-30 p.m.
Spent the rest of the evening writing, chatting to Rita (nothing heavy) and cooling myself down with another shower. Didn’t go to bed until nearly 1-00 a.m., exhausted after quite a hard day. Am looking forward to what should be an interesting tour of the city tomorrow.
Tuesday June 30th
My night’s sleep was disturbed by many outside influences; rain coming in through the window, people knocking me with their bags getting on and off the train, the noises made at various stations along the way. All this led to another night of strange (although not disturbing) dreams. If only I could capture some of them or even remember them in some detail.
I woke up at 7-30 a.m. feeling a little groggy but otherwise alright. My stomach, although empty, is much more settled this morning. The train is still making its way laboriously across the plains of north-western India, which seem to be sparsely populated due to the aridity of the landscape.
The area is mostly scrubland although attempts are being made to cultivate some small plots of land. There are a few hills in the background which seem strangely green and bright in contrast, because of the tree cover which protects their soil.
As I write it is 9-00 a.m. and the train has ground to a halt in the middle of nowhere, Rita is still asleep and the only observers are a few beautifully coloured peacocks (one of which is sitting on a milestone ten yards away from where I’m sitting, preening himself, oblivious to the numerous people nearby).
This halt is turning into an extended one and any hopes I had of arriving in Delhi early this afternoon seem to be fading. I just hope we don’t arrive too late this evening as Rita wanted to have a special meal to celebrate her last official day at Klimsch, the firm she has worked at for nearly thirteen years.
She said that her decision to come to India for a holiday reinforced her resolve and was the thing that finally helped her make the big break. From August she will be doing a Business English course sponsored by the Arbeitsamt who will pay all her costs (DM800 every three months) and also 60% of her net wage.
I’m really glad she finally made the break anyway. Thirteen years is a long time for anyone to work at one place and can only lead to a loss of perspective in life which in turn leads to narrow-mindedness of purpose. Hopefully this trip will also help Rita realise that there is more to life than just working.
It is now fast approaching 9-30 a.m. and the train seems to have become a permanent structure with people, or rather many of the passengers now disgorged along either side of the train as the problem (whatever it is) is being sorted out. Rita sleeps on through all this activity showing how adaptable to situations she can be when she really tries (or rather doesn’t try, sleeping is a natural thing).
Eventually they sent another diesel engine along to haul us back to the nearest station, a small place called Amli, a couple of miles back along the line. Apparently the other engine had broken down and we definitely won’t reach Delhi until this evening.
At the station they did a little shunting around and attached the new engine to the front of the train so that we should get underway again fairly soon. It is now 10-15 a.m. Rita woke up briefly but is now sound asleep again. She said that she hadn’t got to sleep until after 2-00 a.m. but has been sleeping soundly ever since, despite all the commotion going on.
As I write now the train has just started moving in the right direction again so hopefully nothing else will go wrong between here and Delhi. It’s all been another great experience provided for our entertainment by Indian Railways (North-west division), there’s certainly never a dull moment.
We passed through some really interesting countryside varying from desert areas with a lot of erosion to populated areas which were under cultivation with herds of goats and cows wandering about. There is certainly plenty of cultivable land available if the locals are willing to irrigate and use the availability of land in such large quantities.
At midday we pulled into the station of Gangapur City where we stopped for half-an-hour. Rita had by then woken up again and we had a refreshing mug of tea between us. I have also ordered a couple of vegetarian meals for us both which will be most welcome when it arrives (probably in a couple of hours).
The afternoon passed fairly quickly and it soon became obvious that as long as nothing more went wrong we would be in Delhi by early evening. Our lunch arrived at 2-00 p.m. and I dug into mine as I was really hungry. It consisted of rice, chapattis, a couple of vegetable curries and dahl + a small cup of curd for both of us.
Rita came and sat down while I took the berth so I could get a little more sleep. When I woke again at 5-30 p.m. we were only twenty kilometres from Delhi and the rain was bucketing down. Found out later that the monsoon had only reached here yesterday. I seem to have heard that somewhere before; it was the same in Varanasi and Bombay, hopefully the weather will be sunnier in Kashmir.
We arrived in a place called Nizamuddin at 6-15 p.m. and were soon on a local train which took us to New Delhi itself, arriving there at 6-45 p.m. I then took our tickets to the ticket collector who signed the back of them acknowledging that we were stopping over here. Hopefully that will be enough when we try to make reservations to Jammu.
After rebuffing a couple of touts we followed another who took us about ten minutes’ walk away to a place called ‘Tourist Lodge’ which looked quite nice. I was shown a couple of rooms before deciding on one situated at the top of the building with attached toilet and shower which cost R50 a night. The guy wouldn’t budge from this price although I tried hard to bargain.
We’ll probably stay here at least three nights before heading up to Kashmir on Friday or Saturday. Tomorrow we’ll try and get our air tickets organised, berths on a train to Jammu reserved and visit the Post Office to get our letters posted.
Rita took a quick shower before we went out again, which we did at 8-15 p.m. We went to the bazaar area near to the railway station and I showed Rita around some of the market areas, although a lot of the shops were already closing. After wandering around for a while through the main streets of the bazaar we stopped off firstly for an apple juice, which was really delicious.
Then went into a restaurant which was playing quite a good selection of music including the ‘new’ Police L.P. which I hadn’t heard for ages. Rita wasn’t hungry so she had a lime juice soda and a lassi while I ate vegetable fried rice. We also had quite a discussion which became a little heated at times.
Both of us are still very obstinate and although I’ve said we should be open and honest with one another there are still some things that Rita especially finds difficult to talk about. We both agreed on one thing though, that our time here together in India won’t be wasted and that it provides both of us with a chance to sort a few things out before I return to Frankfurt again.
We returned to the hotel at 10-30 p.m. I had a shower which was extremely refreshing before sitting down to write for a while and re-pack the diary (which I’d been unable to get posted in Bombay). Rita also sat and wrote a little diary of her own which she has just started.
Went to bed shortly after midnight.
Monday June 29th
I woke up first at 8-30 a.m. after a restless night’s sleep with some strange dreams. My subconscious seems to have been more active since Rita’s arrival.
We had some breakfast although I only ate bread and drank tea (as well as another four ‘coal’ tablets) as my stomach was still playing up a lot. The weather was pretty rainy again so we decided against trying to reach the post office as it was too far away and will post our various letters on arrival in Delhi.
I have also written a card to Calcutta to have my mail from there re-directed to Srinagar. It’s unlikely but possible that post could end up going from Malaysia via Nepal, Calcutta and ending up in Srinagar.
After paying the bill we left the hotel at 10-15 a.m. The bill for three nights came to R185 of which I’d already paid R100 in advance. We waited around for twenty minutes before the No. 70 bus arrived and everybody piled on. The journey took longer than we’d expected, because of all the traffic around on a Monday morning so that we didn’t get to the Central station until 11-20 a.m.
We met Hari alright though and he confirmed our seat reservation numbers for us before showing us personally to the train. He had also got tickets for a couple of Polish guys so business seems to be going well for him at the moment. Hari showed us to our carriage and the two seats allocated to us which are next to each other across the aisle.
As there didn’t seem to be so many people on the train Rita took the seat opposite me (which forms part of my bed). We had a coke each before the train set off on time at 11-55 a.m.
For Rita this smooth-running electric train with only reserved seats seems to be a pleasant introduction to Indian Railways (better than mine anyway). I am writing this entry at nearly 6-00 p.m. after a pretty smooth journey so far. The seats are padded, not too uncomfortable and within another three hours we should be able to get some sleep.
Rita has spent most of the afternoon reading, doing crossword puzzles and dozing while I’ve been writing and reading (an Agatha Christie book called Destination Unknown). The countryside has been quite interesting with many small hillocks, although the towns are pretty far apart and mostly industrial.
As we moved away from the coast the scenery changed and the hills soon levelled out as we coasted over the plains which seem very fertile, helped by five or six large rivers flowing out towards the coast. There was evidence of some rain and the sky was very cloudy but we were spared any more battering’s from the rain.
On the whole though the journey is proving quite uneventful although of course we can’t be sure yet how long the trip will last. Hopefully Hari was right when he said it would only last 26 hours, although according to the timetable for this ‘summer special’ we shouldn’t arrive in Delhi until late tomorrow evening.
At 7-00 p.m. we passed through a large-looking town called Vadodara and sat there for a while. It is the first place we’ve passed through since leaving Bombay which looks anything like a large town. It is obviously some kind of junction as the tracks crossed a short while ago and there is also a large bus station nearby.
Rita seems to be enjoying the journey so far as it is obviously a whole new experience to her. To me it is now just a rather tiring, boring but cheap way of getting around the country. So far I haven’t seen any evidence of meals being served, which I’d somehow expected.
Although I’m quite hungry it’s probably better for my stomach if I only drink tea and eat peanuts for a while anyway (as I’ve been doing this afternoon). The rest of the evening I spent reading and by 10-00 p.m. I had finished the book which had been quite good.
We went to bed at 10-15 p.m. and after being disturbed several times (my berth was right by the aisle) I eventually managed to get some sleep.
Sunday June 28th
Was awoken shortly after 9-00 a.m. by a guy from the hotel asking us if we wanted any breakfast. As this was included in the price I thought we might as well take advantage of the offer.
Quarter of an hour later he produced a couple of omelettes with cups of tea for us both. The omelette tasted pretty good but set my stomach off again. I had the first of several ‘rotten’ shits and my stomach was on edge all day although I did take some tablets Rita had bought along.
They were made by a German firm and consisted of ‘medizinische Kohle’ (medical coals) which seemed to do the trick of blocking me up anyway. After breakfast we sat around for a while talking about where we should go in the next four weeks.
Rita has a small guidebook on India which had given her a few ideas. We eventually decided on what to do. Firstly try and get reservations on the train to Jammu (Kashmir, 36 hours journey) but also make a stopover in Delhi for two or three days.
With a rough idea of what we wanted to do we set out for Central station at 11-00 a.m. The weather was hot and the sun even managed to break through a little, although later on there were a few more heavy showers.
We caught a No. 70 bus to the station (50 paise each) and had an interesting twenty minute ride before getting there. Because the buses here are double-deckers and Bombay is quite a neat-looking city it felt a little as though we were travelling in London.
Arrived at the station about 11-30 a.m. and walked around trying to decipher various timetables, notices and the words of the enquiries man. It soon became obvious that everything was fully booked and that by ourselves we wouldn’t be able to reserve anything to Kashmir until at least July 7th.
Luckily we ran into a guy working at the station who for a few ‘extra bucks’ was willing to help us get a reservation for the next day. We sat in the cafeteria as he did all the running about for us. The guy’s name was Hari and he proved extremely helpful to us, getting tickets all the way to Jammu (changing at Delhi where we can stopover for up to a week).
For this we gave him an extra R30 and felt it was worth the money simply to get on the train. The basic cost of the ticket (including reservations to Delhi) was R92 each so an extra R15 didn’t make so much difference. Hari later explained (amidst many other stories) that this was a good way to boost his normally meagre income of only R350 a month.
After a couple of teas and a soda each we left Hari at 1-00 p.m. arranging to meet him tomorrow at 11-00 a.m. so he can give us our seat numbers (I already have the tickets) for the train, which is an additional one laid on for the summer rush, and leaves at 11-55 a.m.
I have a feeling it will be a long journey as the train stops at most stations along the way and we probably won’t arrive until late Tuesday evening which makes it a longer journey than the one from Varanasi. Oh, well at least we’re on our way north.
After arranging the tickets we went back to the hotel to consult my little bus book (a good buy for only 80 paise) and decide what we could do for the afternoon. We went out again at 2-30 p.m. having decided to catch a No. 133 which took us on a tour of parts of the city (R0-70 each).
The journey lasted half-an-hour and we also bore the brunt of the first storm of the afternoon from under cover, on the top deck of the red double-decker. We alighted near to the Hanging Gardens, which we then walked to.
They consisted of a series of gardens with platforms like barbeque ‘tables’. On these are laid dead bodies which are left out in the open for the vultures who pick the flesh clean leaving only the bones which are then disposed of somehow. There are certainly some weird ways of getting rid of bodies in this strange yet wonderful country.
We walked around for a while in the gardens which were not as morbid as one might think, before going for a couple of teas in a nearby restaurant and avoiding another heavy storm.
At 4-00 p.m. we started walking along the beach where amazingly enough, despite the rain, there were many people swimming and sitting around talking. After a while more black clouds rolled in and everybody ran for shelter. We headed for a group of stalls under cover for protection and watched the heavens open and the rain pouring down solidly around us.
For a while we were pestered by a group of what I’d call ‘professional’ beggars. My persistency in refusing to give anything eventually paid off and they left us alone. Most of them were children who had been trained by their parents to beg or mothers with young babies. They were all basically well enough with comparatively good clothes, obviously getting enough food and some of them were even wearing rings & bangles of some value.
The storm lasted for ages and eventually we decided to make a break for it. We caught a bus although having no idea where it went and paid R0-30 each to the last stop. A lot of the streets were flooded because of drain blockages caused by the sudden downpour and we joined many of the locals by paddling our way from where the bus dropped us to catch another one.
Our next bus was a single-decker and this time we paid R1-40 each to the last stop which took us over an hour to reach. We eventually alighted in a suburb to the north of Bombay called Chambur. Once there we walked around for a while through an obviously well-to-do area (Bombay seems quite a rich city, comparatively).
After a cup of tea we caught another bus which took us back into the city proper amidst some more showers. We didn’t get back to the hotel area until after 8-00 p.m. Once there we went for a meal in the Café Royal.Rita had a masala omelette and chips while I had some toasted egg and tomato sandwiches, which my stomach found a little more digestible.
Got back to the hotel shortly before 9-00 p.m., sat around chatting with Rita for a while and then had a shower. Lay writing my diary for ages and wrote a short note to Jan before packing the next section in preparation to sending it off (hopefully tomorrow).
Went to bed at 12-30 p.m., not looking forward to tomorrow’s train journey.
Saturday June 27th
Arrived at the airport (international) at 1-15 a.m. still quite out of my head but pleasantly so. I went first into the departure area where I had a cup of coffee (R2-50) at one of the small snack bars.
After that I wandered around the terminal for a while, from Departures to Arrivals to the Viewing Gallery but I couldn’t work out how I could get into the passenger’s area because of all the security guards around. I even went out of the building once, made enquiries at the only desk outside the passenger complex but couldn’t find out anything apart from the fact that Air India had no flight arriving at 5-00 a.m.
I then bought a ticket for R3 thinking that I could get in to see the different airlines but this only gained me entrance to the area I’d been wandering around before. Eventually I tracked down an airport official who was very sympathetic and told me simply to walk into the ‘passengers only’ area.
Got in without any problem although if I had been an Indian that might have been a different matter. I first went to the Swissair desk & enquired about Rattan Pavri (Gayle’s friend) who was unfortunately out of town. The young guy at the desk was very helpful though. He told me that there was a flight arriving in at 5-00 a.m. from Frankfurt and that the relevant airline was Lufthansa (I should have guessed).
Made my way past a lot of airline officials who I had quite a laugh with and up some winding stairs, along countless corridors before I eventually found the little Lufthansa office. Inside were four officials, very German looking Indians. The guy who aided me was extremely helpful informing me proudly that the flight had only been delayed by half-an-hour and that Rita was on board.
Now that I know for definite she was coming I started to get a little nervous hoping that things would go alright. Back in the departure lounge at 3-00 a.m. I bought a magazine called ‘India Today’ and sat reading for a while. However, the seats were uncomfortable and eventually I moved into the plush restaurant where I sat in comfort until nearly 5-00 a.m.
I was constantly watching the ‘arrivals screen’ for any news of flight LH694 arriving from Frankfurt and continuing to Singapore & Jakarta. Had a couple of drinks, a coke & two coffees along with a snack of masala hamburger & Russian salad sandwiches, which took the edge off my munchies. The bill came to R22-50 which was quite reasonable for an airport restaurant.
By this time I was feeling very tired, the effects of the smoke & headache tablets having worn off. I paced up and down the viewing gallery smoking cigarette after cigarette.
At 5-45 a.m. after having heard instructions for people to check in for the onward flight to Jakarta I went up to the Spectator’s Gallery and five minutes later saw the Lufthansa 747 landing. Back in the viewing gallery I waited another half-an-hour or so before seeing Rita (although she didn’t see me).
Ten minutes later she got her bag so I went downstairs to meet her after coming through customs. We met up and for the first half-an-hour or so were both quite distant and business like. I took her up to the bank where she changed US$50 (she has plenty in reserve for any emergencies).
Her flight had cost DM1800 return which was very reasonable, especially considering it was Lufthansa. The return flight goes on the 26th July at 1-20 a.m. so we’ll have a month together (unless anything goes drastically wrong of course).
We sat around for a while until at 7-00 a.m. we got a bus firstly to the National airport (R5 each) and then a taxi to the hotel (R12), only R2 more each than the bus due an hour later would have been). The journey in all took three-quarters of an hour through the squalid suburbs and into Bombay proper, which must have been a real eye-opener to Rita.
On the journey into town we opened up a little more and got chatting about various things, including the fact that a lot of letters have apparently gone astray or taken ages to reach their destinations. This included my last letter from Darjeeling which I posted nearly two weeks ago.
Back in the hotel room I outlined what I’d said about being open and honest with each other and basically seeing how things go. I also explained my reservations about going back to Frankfurt for a longer time and my plan to return to England for a month in August.
We lay chatting & getting acquainted again (although neither of us has changed so much) until 9-30 a.m. when both of us dropped off to sleep. I was really tired and feel we should just take it easy for a couple of days before moving on anywhere.
Slept well until 4-30 p.m. although I had some strange dreams during the afternoon. Rita had a shower, I wrote for ages and Rita wrote a letter to her parents (who she’d told only two days before coming). I phoned Gayle although she wasn’t in so I left the telephone number so she can ring back.
We chatted, drank tea and were generally lazy until quite late. The weather is still pretty monsoon-like, although it was beautiful this morning with the sun finding its way through the clouds. When it’s not raining the weather is really humid. Directly after the rains is best because it’s so cool.
It was nearly 9-00 p.m. before we got around to going for a meal. We went to a nearby restaurant where we had a mixture of rice and curry dishes, a couple of lassis and a cold drink each. Although quite a touristy place the bill for two people wasn’t too outrageous. Rita found the food really spicy and although I found it alright either that or some of the water I drank upset my stomach later on and most of Sunday.
We had a short walk around the market area near to the Gate of India before going back to the hotel at 10-15 p.m. Shortly after returning we were both soon asleep, still pretty tired from our respective travelling stints.
Friday June 26th
Woke up several times during the night as I was uncomfortable but managed to get to sleep again fairly quickly. On the whole a pretty good night’s sleep.
At 6-30 a.m. I woke up again for a while but as I was on a top berth managed to stay there and get some more sleep. The weather was much cooler with a lot of rain beating down. Had some really funny dreams involving a lot of people close to me before being woken up by the ticket collector who wanted to check our ticket and even had the cheek to tell me (jokingly I think) that I shouldn’t be sleeping past 7-00 a.m.
It was 8-30 a.m. by then and the rain was coming down in buckets. We later discovered that Bombay was under the same raincloud (so to speak) as the monsoon proper was getting underway (nearly two weeks late).
Gayle re-joined me at 9-00 a.m. We had some tea & bread for our breakfast, read a little and chatted the rest of the journey away, arriving in Bombay only a few minutes late at 11-30 a.m. We arrived at Victoria Terminus (or VT as it is now commonly called) with rain still pouring down.
I never dreamt that the onset of the monsoon would be so dramatic & sudden.
As I sat with the luggage Gayle telephoned a friend, firstly to see if he had any advice on accommodation for Rita & I and secondly whether he would take us out for a meal. Neither idea came to much so we went to the enquiries desk and found out as much as possible from the guy there.
He advised her that there wasn’t much around the station of value but gave a few other possibilities: 1/. YMCA @ R40 per person 2/. YMCA International Club @ R50 per person 3/. Salvation Army hostel at R30 per person (these were supposedly the cheaper places and confirmed what I’d heard about Bombay being expensive for accommodation).
His other suggestion was to get to a bus to the Collabah area (near to India Gate & the seafront) where there were also some relatively inexpensive hotels, namely the Ashoka Carlton (where I eventually ended up), Diplomat and Imperial.
After a cup of coffee Gayle took her turn minding the luggage while I went in search of places near the station. The rain had stopped for a while although there was ample evidence that the monsoon had hit. I searched around for a little over half-an-hour but couldn’t find anything suitable.
Either a double room was too expensive (R80-R120) or the place was too dirty (R35-R45) and not appropriate for Rita’s introduction to India. Other places which could have been alright were full-up.
Returned to the station and told Gayle that I would try the Collabah area instead so we decided to go our different ways and I would phone her later to let her know where I was staying. As we were talking the rain started again and how. Within five minutes of the downpour starting water was flooding most of the station’s concourse area. We had to seek cover in a corner near the front of the building where we amused ourselves by using the weighing machine.
I was 64 Kg. (10 stone) as opposed to 68-70 Kg. when I left Germany. For five months travelling that’s not too considerable a weight loss although Rita is bound to notice the difference.
At 2-00 p.m. the rain lessened a little so Gayle decided to get a taxi and we went our separate ways. I tried to phone her later on in the day but it was either engaged or no-one answered.
Whilst escorting Gayle to a taxi under my Darjeeling umbrella I got in the way of a wooden sign which blew off its hinges and landed on my exposed right foot. Pretty painful at the time although it caused no significant damage.
I then sat around for half-an-hour talking to a young Indian guy employed in the navy who enthused about Prince Charles (who had visited his ship) and his forthcoming marriage. He also told me that the Queen had been shot a few days ago which I had difficulty believing as I’d heard nothing about it, must check with Rita.
At 2-30 p.m. with rain still pouring down I decided to paddle my way out to the bus stop. After a long wait a No.3 (double-decker & red) bus came along. I paid my fare of R0-75 for the journey to the Regal arena (near Gate of India) which took twenty minutes.
On arrival I went to a place called the Café Royal where I had a Masala omelette and chips + a lemon and hung around waiting for the rain to subside again. When the rain had reduced to a mere shower I set off again in search of the lost room.
I checked several places which were full before coming across the Carlton Hotel which lies behind the massive and impressive Taj Mahal Intercontinental. The price for a double room was R65 a night including breakfast which was fairly reasonable. The only concession I got was to pay R10 less for the first night than normal.
Left the hotel again at 4-30 p.m., firstly in search of a comb, secondly for info on how to get to the airport and thirdly, most importantly to get some drugs for the night ahead. In three hours I was only successful in proving my umbrella was pretty ‘monsoon-proof’ letting in very little water even in the heaviest downpours which were starting to flood some of the streets.
At times I was paddling around in ankle-high water, slipping and sliding about on my flip-flops. I got a comb, found out about a night bus which leaves from in front of the Taj Mahal hotel for R6 to the airport, although I couldn’t ascertain at what times they leave. Will go at 11-00 p.m. and hang around to find out.
My third task was in vain. The chemists in Bombay are much stricter than other parts of India and all I could get were headache tablets containing some codeine (I’ll have to drink a couple of coffees at the airport as well). Gayle has also given me the names of two guys who work alternate nights for Swissair. They may be able to help me a little.
Got back to the hotel at 7-30 p.m., had a shower, washed my cotton trousers & a shirt and then lay on my bed for a while feeling exhausted already. Did some reading and wrote my diary for ages before realising it was already 11-00 p.m. and I should be on my way.
Although Rita’s flight isn’t until 5-00 a.m. I would undoubtedly fall asleep if I stayed here. My next entry will be tomorrow, after Rita’s arrival (hopefully), so all the ‘drama’ of meeting her will included then.
I rushed out of my room and down the stairs at 11-10 p.m., gave a cigarette to one of the guys looking after the hotel and at the same time saw the bus go past. I met several guys who told me that these buses ran throughout the night, going every hour and a half.
In the meantime, they asked, did I want to smoke a chillum with them? I had to do the buying of course and gave them R15, R3 for each small ball of Kashmiri (which I hadn’t tried yet). We smoked all the gear between six of us, I got on well smoking from the chillum and really enjoyed the stoned feeling the Kashmiri gave me.
Left at 12-15 a.m. in good time for the next bus and went with one of the guys (still in rain with quite a high wind) to the place in front of the Taj hotel. We stood there for a while talking, having a laugh at the rich drunken tourists. The street boys here seem alright and although they try to involve you in business deals, they aren’t too pushy at all.
The rich Indians especially made me sick because their way of acting seemed so unnatural for this country. The foreigners were also a little nauseating but I’m used to seeing that sort of action from rich westerners not the Indians. I was to see more of the same sort of thing at the airport where the Indians travelling were obviously those with some standing and class.
The bus arrived at 12-30 a.m. so I said ‘au revoir’ to a couple of the lads and boarded the bus. We seemed to sit there for ages (because I was stoned and in a mood for observation) before leaving at 24-45 (as the timetable proudly proclaimed, the Indians must have invented the 25 hour clock). It was good going out to the airport with no luggage and no worries about catching a plane.
On the way to the airport I saw my first car crash in a long time. Two taxis had run into each other at a crossroads.
Thursday June 25th
Although I went to bed just after midnight I couldn’t sleep. Later Irene suggested we should all sleep on the roof as it would be cooler. I agreed and we moved all the bedding up onto the roof at 1-15 a.m.
It was great to be lying out in the open with a cool breeze fanning me and the tree above rustling in the wind. There were also many night sounds including the sound of bells from temples, people chanting and also shouting at each other across the rooftops. With all this going on and the effects of the smoke wearing off, I didn’t get to sleep until quite late.
We had borrowed an alarm clock off the French couple and we relied on that and the alarm on my watch to wake us up at 4-00 a.m. As it worked out, neither Gayle or I heard the alarms go off. Irene had heard one of them but assuming we had also heard she went back to sleep.
Gayle awoke at 4-30 a.m. and woke me & Irene up. Hurriedly we got everything together, had a wash and were on our way by 4-45 a.m. I smoked the last of my joints so that I wouldn’t be carrying anything with me on the train and got well out of my head.
This was fine as I sauntered along with the other two trying to find a tri-shaw that would take us to Mughal Sarai for a reasonable price. But that early in the morning it was very difficult and the most reasonable offer made was by the first guy which was much too high (R15).
If I had been on my own I probably would have taken that, but being with the two girls we had to have the ‘proper’ price which Gayle had found out was R3 each. We walked on, waking a couple of drivers up only to find that they wouldn’t go lower than R20 or even R25.
We walked for ages before eventually arriving at the square where buses departed to Mughal Sarai for R2-50 each. We jumped in saying hurried goodbyes to Irene who I’d really like to see again one day.
Eventually we got underway shortly after 5-30 a.m. I was already resigned to the fact that we had missed the 6-00 a.m. train and would have to catch a later one. However, we were reassured by some Indian businessmen in the mini-bus that the train wouldn’t leave until 6-30 a.m. and that we still had plenty of time to spare because the ride should only take half-an-hour.
True to their word we got to the station shortly after 6-00 a.m. and I rushed off to recover our bags before we had a hurried coffee on platform 4 where our train was due to leave from. Gayle made enquiries and discovered that we had moved to the head of the waiting-list for a berth, a good sign.
The train arrived at 6-20 a.m. and we were on board by the time it left twenty minutes later, thanks to the help of an Indian gentleman who proved to be really friendly and ended up helping us a lot. He was quite an extrovert for an Indian, a really big guy with suave moustache & flowing white shirt & trousers which made him look like an Arabian sheik.
When he spoke he sounded more like a jovial (coloured) Welshman who had somehow turned up to help us. As he said he always liked to aid travellers he met and his help was certainly much appreciated during the next three or four hours. He filled us in on some of the background to Indian ways as he saw it. This involved the basic principle of money making the world go round.
He tried to get us berths reserved through the ticket collector which he warned us could cost us R10 each on top of the reservation fee of R7. However, when the inspector eventually got round to dealing with us (giving Gayle a berth in the Ladies Compartment and me a top berth) he refused to take the extra ‘bribe’ money.
He jokingly said that it was the Indians’ dishonesty that led to this corruption so why should we as foreigners pay for it. A nice attitude although I also saw another collector later on refusing to take the ‘extra bucks’ from some Indian salesmen who also managed to get hold of some berths.
Our train is certainly not as crowded as I had expected and at least I have a place to sleep tonight. I was thinking of three nights without much sleep ending in the meeting of Rita.
The guy talked & talked which was sometimes a bit much, but he also helped us again at Allahabad (near to his own village) when soldiers boarded the train and, as I’d been warned by the French couple, searched us because we were foreigners. They went through Gayle’s handbag which I wasn’t worried about until she told me during the search, “Ich habe etwas”.
I stayed cool as they gave me a pretty thorough body search after finding nothing on Gayle. The soldier who carried out the search asked if I used morphine and even checked my arms for ‘user’s marks’. Our Indian friend complained in Hindi that we weren’t like that & he got quite annoyed at the heavy-handiness of the soldiers.
It was only later that I discovered Gayle was carrying a small amount of grass for a friend of Irene’s in Bombay. Our new found friend left us with many handshakes and farewells at a small station outside Allahabad. We thanked him for all his help (little did he know).
He also warned us to be careful with our luggage for the next couple of hours as we were passing through some dodgy areas. I also had to promise to visit his brother who is married to a German woman and lives in Eschersbach (near Frankfurt).
As I write this account it is 5-30 p.m. and we are sitting at one of the many stations along the way to Bombay for half-an-hour or so. We shared a dinner (R4) earlier on and have drunk numerous teas along with a couple of mangoes. Gayle had bought some bananas and I’ve done some reading.
We have also passed through some very interesting landscapes and a variety of weather patterns including very heavy monsoon rains which were turning large, normally barren & scrubby areas into giant lakes, quite spectacular.
There were also some exceptional cloud patterns which combined with flat-topped hills, small villages & differing peoples to make very interesting viewing from our window side seats. Gayle will move to the Ladies Compartment later when she wants to sleep.
It was a fairly uneventful evening although Gayle & I chatted for some time and found out more about each other. The Indian businessmen we were with seemed baffled by the apparent contradiction that I was travelling with Gayle and yet on my way to meet my girlfriend in Bombay.
I think they eventually concluded that I was some sort of playboy, little did they know that I had in reality become a monk.
At 8-30 p.m. I escorted Gayle with her luggage to the Ladies Compartment where she settled in for the night. I decided to call it a day as well as my arse was sore from sitting on the wooden bench all day and I was also very tired after getting so little sleep last night.
Went to sleep at 9-30 p.m. with my head on my bag (as a pillow) trying to get comfortable on the wooden berth which was my bed for the night.
Wednesday June 24th
I didn’t wake up until 9-00 a.m. after a restless night’s sleep. Gayle had been out since 4-00 a.m. and left a note for Irene and I to that effect. Irene had slept the last three hours on a bench outside the room because it was cooler.
After having a smoke with Vikki and the French couple (Michelle & Chris) I went out with Irene. I was pretty smashed and everything looked set for another enjoyable day as it turned out to be. Irene was very good company and I also chewed a little gear which gave me a nice little lift later on as well.
First of all we went to a tea-stall. Sat in the shade as it was very hot without the wind which was only blowing a little during the morning. After three teas we wandered off down some of the many alleyways looking at various souvenir places along the way.
Irene bought a load of bangles, glass ones, which cost R5 for 12. I got a small bargain for R5 when I bought a couple of beautifully carved cigarette holders. They are really nice anyway and could make a nice couple of presents for people at home.
We wandered about for ages and Irene bought a really nice brass jug with a copper cup for R38 which was pretty good value considering the normal price was anywhere from R45 to R70 (she had been pricing them for a long time).
At 1-00 p.m. we were joined by quite a nice Indian guy who showed us around a couple of shops in which he obviously had an interest. He also bought us some tea and a leaf of betlenut bitters & tobacco which I chewed for a while, as the Indians often do.
The chew gave me a nice hit and although an Indian’s resistance is much higher I can now understand how some of them get really out of their heads. It also turns the gums & teeth of the chewer very red which looked strange when I first came to India but it is now one of those accepted things.
There are many things which I’ve probably never described which are a way of life in India and would now never occur to me as particularly different because I’m so used to them. The presence of beggars, cows & shit in the street is now the norm for me. It will take a lot of getting used to Europe after all this.
We first went into a small shop selling handicrafts. There we ended up sitting there for ages and I literally sold my shirt, well almost. Irene & I both bought a little marble box & incense holder (R5 for the pair). Our ‘friend’ also really liked my black ‘Granny’s’ T-shirt from Ibitha (which was too small anyway) so I swapped it for a really cool cream cotton shirt which normally cost R13.
I wasn’t worried and thought their comparative values were about equal. Irene thought that it was a bad deal although she changed her mind later on. After that we went to a silk and linen shop where we sat for ages looking at different cloths and drinking teas.
Left at 3-00 p.m. with the promise to return later on. We went back to the lodge after losing our way a couple of times and meeting the Indian guy again. After three-quarters of an hour we got back but there was no sign of Gayle yet. I had another smoke which put me back up there again but got rescued from another boost by Irene for which I was quite grateful.
Went for a lassi at a small street front shop and we met a guy from Newcastle who I’d met before in Darjeeling. He was out photographing and has managed to arrange an exhibition with the British consulate in Calcutta from August 10th although of course he doesn’t get paid for it.
Then Irene and I spent ages walking along the riverside seeing a lot of strange sights, people and temples. We ended up spending time there until sunset, watching some amazing things as people (or rather pilgrims & locals) bathed in the holy river. We heard of the amazing floods they have here in August/September which raise the level of the river by some forty or fifty metres. This completely submerges the waterfront and turns a lot of the town into a little Venice. Everybody turns to boats for a while.
We drank a few more teas, orange and a soda as our thirsts constantly needed attending to before having a meal of masala dosa, a lemon soda and a coffee. At 8-30 p.m. we went back to the lodge but there was still no sign of Gayle.
I made up four joints from my remaining gear, probably three for tonight and one for tomorrow. As I write this it is 11-45 p.m. and I’ve smoked two and the going’s getting heavy as I sit here writing sweating like a pig.
Gayle got back at 11-00 p.m. and has been relating her day’s experiences to us which largely involved trying to change a Swiss Franc T/Chq and having no cash. Also being chased by strange Indians and buying numerous things (scarves a plenty) so I’ll be carrying a little extra luggage on our trip to Bombay tomorrow.
I’ve had a sort of shower and am sitting around trying to write & get all the details of the day up to date before the hassles of the day ahead. We’re not going to get much sleep, it’s already nearly midnight and Gayle & I should be leaving at 4-30 a.m. in the morning.
I probably won’t get a chance to write on the train tomorrow so Thursday’s account may be a little shorter than today’s little epilogue although I haven’t included half of the day’s events because of the lack of time, apologies.
Tuesday June 23rd
We were woken first of all by the guy in charge of the retiring rooms who awoke Gayle (I feigned sleep). She had to fill out a form and sign in my name because the booking had been made under Fear and I was still asleep and shouldn’t be woken, as Gayle told him.
He came in again at 7-30 a.m. and woke me to tell me off because Gayle had left the door slightly ajar and also because he wanted us out so he could lock up and go home. I told him we would be there at least another two hours to which he promptly jumped at the chance of extra money. I gave him R1 to get a couple of teas.
We had decided only to take a few essentials to Varanasi and leave most of our stuff at Moghul Sarai as we would be travelling from there. I decided to just take an extra T-shirt my toothbrush and some toothpaste. Put this in Gayle’s bag so I ended up walking away with just an umbrella while the girls both had bags.
First though we’d had to discuss the matter for ages with the left luggage clerk who wouldn’t take our bags at first because we had no locks on them. Eventually we persuaded him to do his job and he gave me a form (meaning that I had to be there & sign again to get our luggage back), which I filled out. They locked away our stuff which was quite an achievement, nothing compared with our next one though.
Gayle and Irene (mostly) spent nearly two hours rushing around getting approval stamps from non-existent ticket-collectors before being able to reserve anything. Irene managed to reserve a berth for her twelve-hour journey leaving on the evening of the 25th but Gayle and I only got on the waiting-list for our train which leaves on the morning of the 25th and which takes 30 hours.
There was a lot of monsoon-type weather around with heavy showers, high winds and very humid air. We were sweating like pigs by the time we’d finished rushing around getting stamps on the tickets and also going through the rigmarole of getting the left-luggage transferred into Irene’s name so she could pick up her backpack separately on Thursday evening.
We then walked to the ‘bus-station’ to get a bus to Varanasi. The streets were covered in water and when we eventually got the bus (and amazingly enough seats) for R1 each, my trousers were already covered in mud. There were a couple of young Indian guys who were very helpful, pointing out the sights along the way.
The journey took an hour and we were in Varanasi by 1-30 p.m. We then walked with one of the guys who had said he would walk with us to the centre of town. On the way though we were intercepted by many different people and eventually went with one young guy (Vicki) who took us to Shiva Lodge, a place nearby to the Ganges river.
Got there (really hot) shortly after 2-00 p.m. and decided to take a room just for a couple of nights. The rooms were quite simple with mats to sleep on the floor but cheap at only R8 for all of us per night. The lodge has a great view over the river and the high wind had a cooling effect even though our room later proved to be really hot.
There were also a French couple next door who have already been here a month and intend staying another three before going to Thailand. They have a room at the front of the small lodge and have decked it out quite simply but beautifully.
We were all thirsty so I popped out, winding my way through numerous alleyways past a lot of temples. Including all the small ones there are nearly 36000 in all in Varanasi which is the oldest city in India). I eventually got three drinks which I took back managing to find my way through the alleyways with no real problem.
Sat drinking these but we were still thirsty afterwards so after I’d smoked a joint (nice Nepali) we all went out to a small tea-shop that Vicki also happened to own and drank a really nice lassi and lots of tea. The three of us then went down to the River Ganges where we wandered about for ages.
I was out of my head after the smoke and really appreciated everything a lot more than on my last dash through the city. Having a different attitude made me capable of seeing a very different city and I wasn’t worried about being hassled and bothered by the beggars and even some real nutters.
Irene and I sat down in front of a temple by a small tea shop on the steps which led down into the Ganges. There were a lot of young boys swimming about and I felt tempted to join them to cleanse myself as well. The Ganges is meant to be one of the cleanest rivers in the world despite all the ashes & bodies that are thrown in there every day.
Gayle went off for an hour or so and we just sat talking and looking at everything going on around us. Afterwards she re-joined us and we walked off on what turned out to be a massive window-shopping expedition, which I really enjoyed because it was so nice being with the girls. It provided much more chances to have a laugh and joke with the stall keepers and the numerous kids around.
I was in a very nice mood and had a great time as we wandered through streets of shops and market alleyways. We were also shown to one of the three famous ghats by a young guy (who later turned out to be one of many silk designers). We looked over a site where they were burning about ten bodies at the time.
You don’t see much of the bodies except, it’s said, for the pelvis area of a woman and the chest of a man which don’t burn. There are some sorts of people whose bodies are not burnt, such as lepers, children and holy men who are thrown into the river in a sheet weighted by a stone.
It was all quite interesting and Irene even reckoned romantic although I didn’t feel too sure about that. At 8-00 p.m. pleading tiredness we were given directions on how to get back to the lodge and once in the general area we found a place to eat.
We had the set Thali meal which cost only R3-50. Irene was saying that a set meal in the south can sometimes be had for only R1-50. It was a very enjoyable meal although it did funny things to my stomach because it is was very spicy.
After the meal we headed back to the lodge where we arrived about 8-45 p.m. I spent the next hour or so having a smoke from a chillum with the French couple in their little ‘apartment’ and listened to some music, a cassette from Nektar and later on the one from Kraftwerk and another from Bob Marley.
Michelle (the French guy) confirmed a rumour that I’d first heard whilst trekking but never read for myself, that Bob Marley had died from throat cancer. Spent an enjoyable time smoking & listening to music both in their room and later on in our room.
I bought a good piece for R10 (I don’t want to carry any on the train to Bombay as searches are pretty regular) of which I smoked some later on and listened to the music through a door connecting our two rooms.
We all went to bed at 11-30 p.m. after I’d attempted to write my diary. I slept next to Irene which I must admit made me feel a little randy (after my long abstinence).
Monday June 22nd
At 5-45 a.m. we tried moving into the carriage and grabbing seats when the beds were lowered (the middle ones) leaving theoretically either an upper berth or a seat. We chose a section which had been wired off although at the time we didn’t know why.
Later found out it was reserved for a group of railway workers who had been especially assigned to this particular coach because it had been prone to breaking down. Two young lads with the group had been sleeping on the top berths and they were eventually kind enough to let us have places.
First though I was offered three seats in a Ladies Car for an extra R50 for all of us, which I promptly refused to pay on principle. As it worked out, after a lot of hassle we were able to sort something out. Irene sat down the bottom while Gayle & I took the top berths to try and get some sleep. I slept really well from 7-00 a.m. until nearly 11-30 a.m.
Gayle managed to sleep even longer. I then sat down at the bottom and later Irene managed to get some sleep as well so we all eventually got some rest. I spent most of the afternoon reading my book ‘Lifetide’. It is really good, written by a biologist who has some very interesting ideas about evolution and the way we’ve reached the way we are now.
I also had quite a laugh with the railway workers who turned out to be pretty friendly even though we’d caused them a lot of inconvenience. Most of them didn’t speak English but we were still able to communicate well.
Back on the plains the weather was humid but bearable because of a cooling breeze and an occasional shower. I read later that the monsoon weather has yet to hit Bombay and some of the northern areas, which are still suffering from a blistering heatwave.
On the whole the journey was pretty uneventful though and we reached our destination of Moghal Sarai a little late, shortly after 6-30 p.m. I sat on the platform, looking after the luggage, while Gayle and Irene went off for ages trying to get our tickets extended.
After a long time and a lot of hassle they eventually succeeded. Irene’s to Delhi cost another R20 and Gayle’s & mine to Bombay for another R50 each (also another 30 hr. journey).
As we also had to wait until the morning to get reservations (10-00 a.m.) we decided to try & get beds in the Retiring Rooms which are provided at the station. We enquired and were then shown to a small dormitory with four beds, three of which were free at R5 each.
In the meantime quite an interesting incident had taken place. I had been hassled a lot by small boy ‘beggars’ on the station as I looked after the luggage. On principle I gave them nothing but there was one old boy who (when the girls came back) I took up to the stall and bought him some chapattis & curry for R1.
He scampered along the platform really pleased with himself, a great sight which lifted me a little as well. The girls reckoned that he looked like Ghandi, it must have been his glasses and white hair.
After having a look around at the flooded areas from the monsoon weather we decided not to venture far and headed for the veggy restaurant on Platform 3. There we had a standard meal and a specially requested coffee for R6.
Afterwards we had a couple more coffees at the stall where they had been fetched from before, because they were so delicious, before returning to our luxury room for the night where there was an Indian businessman from Assam with his ‘boy’ (servant), who slept elsewhere.
Had a short chat with him before having a really nice and refreshing cold shower. I then sat around trying to write my diary and also chatted to the girls for a while. They’re both really nice and great people to travel with and we seem to fit in well together and seem to have our different talents. Mine is being polite and doing the more gentlemanly work. I read a little before we all went to sleep at 11-30 p.m.
Sunday June 21st
Woke up at 7-30 a.m. to a really misty & rainy day. I rescued my clothes which were damp and hung them up on the clothes line Phil has erected in the other room. I also gave the others a shout in case they wanted to get up soon.
There was still no electricity so breakfast will have to be delayed and there was also no hot water for showers. I had a very exhilarating cold shower which really woke me up I started to get a few things organised for moving today. It will probably end up being a last-minute rush for all of us.
It is now 8-30 a.m. as I sit writing my diary for a while and planning to do my packing. It shouldn’t be too difficult although I seem to be accumulating more and more books (mostly copies of my diary).
At 9-15 a.m. I had a little breakfast with the others before getting down to some packing in earnest. The packing went quite well and I was finished by 11-00 a.m. when the electricity also went back on by some miracle, it had been off most of the time since yesterday evening.
Took my sheets & blankets downstairs to the deputy warden and paid him for my stay at the Youth Hostel, thirteen nights at R6 a night was only R78, incredible value. I then went back to the girl’s room which Phil was slowly taking over along with Dave, an Australian guy I’d known when I was first here who has just returned from ten days in Sikhim. They should make a good pair.
Phil’s a good laugh & can cook well while Dave is a good conversationalist and also has his cassette recorder with a varied selection of cassettes. Both of them enjoy smoking as well so they should have a whale of a time. As Phil made chapattis for breakfast all three of us guys had a smoke of the Kerala which was excellent and got us pretty well out of our heads.
What a great way to leave Darjeeling, on the crest of a wave (a grass wave that is). The deputy warden spoilt our little farewell party a little by coming into the room and asking Phil not to smoke in the hostel but he was quite pleasant about it.
We managed to consume a lot of chapattis before Irene made a move at 12-15 p.m. to get some bread from Glenary’s, the bus was due to leave at 12-40 p.m. The rest of us left five minutes later with Phil & Dave along to act as porters & guides (although I carried my own bag). We walked quickly down the hill and literally met the bus coming up the road.
Gayle & I dallied around for a couple of minutes getting our luggage organised and waiting for Irene who came rushing down the road at the last minute. We piled into the bus, said some hurried goodbyes to Phil & Dave as the bus sped off up the road, well almost. We crawled through the bazaar so that Phil & Dave kept up with the bus for quite a way.
I felt a bit sick at having to leave Darjeeling but maybe I’ll be back again one day. I was also still pretty stoned and after the last minute rush for the bus just sat in my seat really dazed.
We left Darjeeling eventually at just before 1-00 p.m. and made a stop for ‘ten minutes’ at 2-30 p.m. when we almost missed the bus again. The conductor came looking for us as they’d driven about 200 metres down the road before realising we weren’t there. Apart from that it was a pretty good journey.
We climbed from Darjeeling up to Ghoom which was in even thicker clouds, before starting our downward descent to the plains and the heat. As we descended the weather got noticeably warmer and the air quite close and humid. We reached New Jalpaiguri at 4-30 p.m. where, although the weather was hot, there was a cooling wind.
The reservation office was open until 5-00 p.m. so we were able to get some arrangements made although they weren’t all that satisfactory. By then I’d decided to go with the girls anyway although it would have been simpler to get the Darjeeling Mail (19-45) to Calcutta as I would have got a reserved seat (they have a special foreign tourist quota available).
On the train we wanted to catch, the 1-30 a.m. (tomorrow morning) to Maghal Sarai (10 kilometres from Varanasi), there is no quota available so we have been placed 16th, 17th & 18th on the waiting list for reservations. We are pretty confident of getting places on the train although we must also try to see the head ticket collector when he comes on duty at 9-30 p.m. to try and speed things along.
We had plenty of time to waste so we sat outside on a grass strip providing entertainment for the rickshaw-drivers and relaxing in the sunshine and cooling wind. We watched a nice sunset before moving inside the station as a thunderstorm started to break. It was by now 7-30 p.m. and time was passing quickly.
Went to the refreshment room to escape the elements, have something to eat and drink. Had a really nice Thali meal of rice with various vegetable curries and salad. We all sat around after the meal writing. I caught up on my diary, Irene wrote hers as well while Gayle wrote letters to kill time.
As long as we get on the train (ticket cost R50-45) then we should be in Maghal Sarai by 6-00 p.m. tomorrow evening. We must try and get our tickets extended to save money, Gayle & I to Bombay and Irene to Delhi (where they’ll meet up later).
Sat in the refreshment room for ages. Gayle left at 9-15 p.m. and five minutes later came back to tell us that the waiting rooms and corridors of the station were rapidly filling up. We paid our bill, completed our writing for the day and joined Gayle at 9-45 p.m. She had found a nice out of the way spot where we left all our luggage.
Gayle got out her sleeping bag and managed to get some sleep while Irene and I wandered around the station. At 11-30 p.m. Irene also lay down and rested. I sat on a nearby wall watching all the action and keeping an eye on the luggage as we were in quite a shady area. The girls slept well though and had at least some rest before the ordeal to come.
Went down to the platform at 1-15 a.m. where there were already a lot of people milling about waiting for the train’s arrival. The train arrived on time and after a lot of hassle as Gayle chased around after the ticket-collector trying to get some beds sorted out on the train. We didn’t have much success and everybody had to just board the train in a second class sleeping carriage where the military appeared to have taken over.
There were a lot of soldiers on their way to Delhi (from Assam a good 2 day journey). Most of them were littered all over the corridors. They hadn’t managed to get beds so our chances looked pretty slim. We eventually squeezed ourselves in although it was hard-going and my bag ended up pushed in above the wash-basin.
Irene managed to perch herself on the edge of a seat and get some sleep. Gayle & I spent most of the night standing up, continually having to move because people wanted to go to the toilet (especially at 5-00 a.m. when there was a long line of Indians waiting to brush their teeth). I had to move my bag then and perch it on my lap as there was water all over the floor.
It wasn’t a bad night though, I had quite a laugh with a couple of the soldiers and also got a lot of reading done. If I’d thought about it I would have bought some speed to make the going a little easier.
Saturday June 20th
Phil woke me up at 4-30 a.m. to see the sunrise which was really spectacular and I went a little crazy taking a few photos. It was also very cold until the sun started to get up in the sky a little. The mountains looked incredibly powerful in the early morning light.
The other three were also up and about. Phil is going to take the girl’s room when they go and seems to have moved in already, he has slept there the last two nights. After watching the sunrise I went back to bed again, not having the energy to do what I’d been doing yesterday morning.
Slept well until after 10-00 a.m. Then after washing myself I washed some of my clothes, a pair of cotton trousers and some T-shirts for the heat of India which we’ll be going back to tomorrow afternoon. I hung out my washing (although it started to rain shortly afterwards) and hope that everything will be dry by this evening so I can get my packing done.
I sat at my desk writing for a while. Phil and I have both taken a couple of tabs of speed to liven up the day and Gayle will reserve a seat on the bus for me. We should leave tomorrow at midday and be in Siliguri by 4-00 p.m. in the afternoon. From there I can start making decisions as to which way I’ll head across to Bombay.
Around midday I went into the girl’s room where Phil was busy cooking plum jam. I tried some on bread and it was delicious. The speed then started taking effect and I had to be on the move. I headed down into town and had a smoke so that I was pretty smashed by the time I reached the Post Office.
I posted the diary to Jan, a postcard to Bobby and the letter to my Mother. I also checked Post Restante on the off-chance and found another telegram from Rita which must have arrived a couple of days ago. It just said, “Ankunft 27/6 5 a.m. Bombay OK”.
Rita had obviously assumed that I would reply but I hadn’t even considered it. I quickly worded a short confirmation which, because it included the address, still cost R30. The reply I sent was short and to the point, “Alles Klar, Danke, Fred”.
After all this excitement at the Post Office I headed down to the market under a full head of steam (read speed) and wandered about for ages losing direction all the time. Eventually I got what I wanted at a small stall, five black pens of the sort I’ve been using here. I also managed to find the stationery store and get a duplicate book & some more carbon paper.
The guy at the shop assumed I was a teacher and asked me where I taught. I said that I was travelling but would love to teach in the area, he gave me a couple of hints and suggested I should contact a few of the local schools. Most of the schools were closed (including the Tibetan one) but I managed to get an address to write to in Delhi.
After watching a snake charmer for a while, I bought a Times of India and went to a nearby restaurant where I could also watch the action in this street. The snake-charmer later joined me in the restaurant although keeping his eyes averted he avoided any contact.
I had three teas, two samosas and two biscuits before doing some more wandering about. Then I bought two tickets for a movie at the Rank Cinema hoping one of the others would come along with me. The film starts at 5-00 p.m. and is the old classic, ‘The Great Escape’.
Eventually I headed back up the hill (it gets shorter every time I walk up). Got back to the hostel at 3-30 p.m. and Gayle had booked our tickets for the bus tomorrow. They cost R10-60 each and we should arrive there at 4-30 p.m. Then the fun starts. I’ve had it easy the last couple of months as far as hassles go. They’ll probably be starting again soon.
Gayle agreed to go to the movies with me and before we knew it, it was time to go. We agreed to meet at the cinema as she wanted to buy a painting first from an Art Exhibition.
She got to the cinema as the film was well underway and I had to explain what had happened, which wasn’t easy. Before leaving the Youth Hostel I had a couple of blows of hash, a joint walking down the hill and along with the speed I got well into the film. Although a bit melodramatic at times it was still a great film.
The film was over all too quickly and after getting a cauliflower and some dahl we walked (at a brisk pace) up the hill and back to the hostel where we arrived at 8-30 p.m. Phil was able to start cooking, Irene is washing and cutting vegetables while Gayle & I are writing on the bed. That is exactly how we’ve been for the last three or four nights and it seemed right for our last evening in beautiful Darjeeling to be so again.
It’s now nearly 10-00 p.m. as we’ve just had another electricity cut (there was one in the cinema but they had their own generator). The scene has changed. I’m writing by candlelight and the cooking has ground to a halt for a while. Hopefully the cut won’t be for too long. After all that smoking I’ve really got the munchies, and bad.
Nobody has even thought of packing yet so it will be a mad rush tomorrow morning. I still have clothes drying on the line and correspondence all over my writing desk. I’m too out of it to bother this evening.
It’s hard to believe that this trip will be over in five or six weeks, I’m really starting to get into ‘places’ at the moment. Kashmir will be another, but also a different story, as I’ll be travelling with Rita and living off the last of my money.
At 11-15 p.m. we decided that the electricity wasn’t going to return for a while, so we had the rice & dahl which was still being kept warm in Phil’s porcelain pot. We ate it with some bread Irene had, which was really delicious although we missed the chapattis and vegetables. We are hoping that the electricity will be back on by tomorrow morning and we can have the chapattis for breakfast.
Left the other three (after chatting with Irene & Gayle until nearly 1-30 a.m.) and went off to bed. Irene gave me a couple of Librium to knock me out as I was still pretty speedy.
Friday June 19th
Woke up really early this morning although I still missed the sunrise. The Indians were moving on today and all got up at 5-30 a.m.
It seemed such a beautiful cloudless day that I got up as well feeling really spritely & alive, it was a real spur of the moment thing, I nearly turned over and went back to sleep again. Having washed and dressed I got my camera and a film out knowing that I would use the film up this morning. Once I get a film in the camera it gets used up very quickly.
I took a few snaps from the hostel of the surrounding valleys and snow-capped peaks which were the clearest I’d ever seen them. One can use so many superlatives about the scenery but …..
At 6-15 a.m. I said goodbye to the young Indians from Bombay. The Japanese guy is also leaving for a day or two so that there will be only three of us left in this dorm, an Indian guy from Calcutta, Phil and myself.
Walked around, first along the hilltop to get snaps of the surrounding area and then down into the town to see people setting up their stalls, opening shops and on their way to work. Even at 7-00 a.m. the place was a hive of activity as the market slowly came to life.
I was snapping so many pictures that before I realised it there were only two photos left. I had intended saving them to get a picture of Phil, Irene & Gayle but things worked out slightly differently. I had just taken a photo of the mountains over the rooftops when a local guy asked to have a look at the camera which seems to be a novelty here.
It is a foldaway Kodak mini-instamatic which has always come in handy travelling although my use of it is very erratic. Before I knew it there were a whole crowd of local people gathered around looking at the camera, none of them could speak English but it was soon obvious that they would all consider it a privilege to have their photo taken. They formed themselves into a group and I got what I hope will be a great photo.
The great thing was that they were all thrilled being photographed and I was only too pleased to have the photo and without any hassles. Too often in Nepal I’d shied away from taking shots of people because they hassled for money too much. Here the attitude (at least in this instance) was completely different.
I think a place like Darjeeling, which has become immune to the intrusion of westerners because of the slow process of colonisation, is so different to a place like Nepal where progress and the influence of the west has all come too quickly, spoiling a lot of the locals and their customs.
About 7-30 a.m. the clouds started coming in from the east (my film was also finished) so I started to walk back to the hostel with an idea at the back of my mind to get some breakfast on the way. Then, lo and behold, to cap off a beautiful morning I ran into Mike & Chris, the Danish couple with whom I’d travelled from Kathmandu.
It was great seeing them again; they were also out early because it had been so lovely so I joined them in a search for breakfast. They felt good and were going for style. Glenary’s was closed so they took me up to the Oberoi Manor Everest (one of an extremely posh chain of hotels). It was a real experience.
We were shown through carpeted areas of extravagance, the reception area with its marble tables, up the carpeted stairway, along oak-panelled hallways, through an incredibly fancy restaurant, arriving finally in a beautiful breakfast room overlooking the valley.
The tables were perfect with white tablecloths and silver cutlery. I was tempted to lift a souvenir but as we were the first guests it would have been a little too obvious. We had a nice light breakfast consisting of a large silver pot of tea, endless toast & jam and Mike had a couple of boiled eggs. The service was impeccable and despite my comparatively scruffy clothes was served as a gentleman should be (well, almost). Had a very interesting chat during the meal about various things.
At the end of the meal Mike insisted on paying the bill which came to R44 because they still have a lot of money (they were intending to travel around Asia for longer but have decided to see some of Europe instead). We went our different ways a short way down the road and may well run into each other again, either here or in Europe.
I went back to the hostel at 8-45 a.m. My normal day wouldn’t even have started yet. Phil and Irene were still asleep and Gayle was out, although she returned shortly afterwards.
A young Japanese guy moved into the room and before I knew it had rolled a joint of hash and was offering me a smoke. I told him it was a little uncool in the hostel but helped him finish the joint anyway. Also saw the lump of beautifully soft Nepali hash he had. It was a great smoke and made the grass (even Kerala) pale by comparison.
It’s two weeks since I had a smoke of hash and it really blew me away, a fantastic feeling though. I got really stoned and never even got the writing done I’d intended to. Instead I lay on my bed, my mind having a ball of a time.
Must have dropped off to sleep for a while because Irene woke me at midday as they were making chapattis. They commented on how healthy I was looking (really pink they said) and also that I still looked stoned (which I was).
I had a sudden burst of energy and a great idea of something to do. I dashed down to town, bought a cassette and was back at the hostel within half-an-hour, so I must be getting fitter again. My idea had been to get some different music for the girl’s cassette recorder and I found the one shop that sold western tapes called ‘Das Studio’ (an Agfa based photo shop).
There were about ten different tapes to choose from including Donna Summer, Jefferson Starship and Emotional Rescue by the Stones. Eventually I got a tape called Man Machine by Kraftwerk which turned out to be an excellent choice.
Raced back up the hill with the tape (R35) and back to the hostel in record time and got there just as the last of the chapattis were being prepared. They were delicious with a tomato mixture and some garlic. The music was also appreciated.
After my mad rush into town (for the second time today) I am now sitting in the girl’s room writing my diary. The weather, after a cloudy morning, has turned really nice again for a while.
I have decided to book a bus ticket to Siliguri with the girls for Sunday. We can do that tomorrow as it is much better to reserve seats ahead of time (to avoid fracas like the one we got into the day before yesterday). Spent most of the afternoon in the girl’s room writing my diary, a letter to my Mother and a postcard to Bobby.
At various times Gayle, Phil & Irene all went downtown. I gave Phil R10 to buy some vegetables and he managed to get enough for two good meals for the four of us. He did the cooking again for the evening, with Irene helping out as well. He has proved to me that vegetarian eating doesn’t have to be boring. The meals we’ve had the last couple of evenings have been delicious.
We had the meal at 9-00 p.m. and were really lucky as the electricity went shortly afterwards and didn’t come back on until much later on. It was an excellent & satisfying meal of chapattis, a vegetable dahl with rice and a few cooked vegetables.
Afterwards Phil & I had a smoke. The night was beautifully clear again with the moon shining really brightly and the stars twinkling through the atmosphere. Everybody was tired, especially me after my early start today. I went to bed at 11-30 p.m.
Thursday June 18th
I slept well but had some pretty strange dreams. Came to once during the night and heard the dogs all over town baying & barking at the moon. Woke up properly at 9-30 a.m. feeling a little subdued after yesterday’s excitement.
Phil was already up and trying to get some earrings made. Gayle had gone downtown already. Phil & Irene also went down later on but I sat at my writing desk all morning writing about yesterday and also trying to frame (or rather pen) letters to both Rita (to warn her what to expect) and my Mother (which I’ve wanted to write all week).
Physically I’m feeling a lot better although the weather is still pretty overcast. If anyone is expecting to see me brown as a berry on my return home they’re in for a surprise. At the moment I’m as white as a sheet.
It took ages to write the letter to Rita and I didn’t finish it until after 1-00 p.m. so Mother’s letter has been delayed a little longer. Basically I gave Rita some hints on what to expect in India (although that is difficult to express in words). I also asked her to try and come here with an open mind, both about India and about me. I’m sure she’s changed her attitudes in five months and I know I’m not the same person that left Frankfurt.
Walked downtown (it is literally downtown), posted the letter and wandered about stoned from the joint I’d had walking down. A lot of the market area was closed, either because of the rain or because it’s Thursday, no idea which.
Bought a newspaper and sat outside a restaurant near the bazaar, looking at everything happening around me. Ate a masala dosa and had a cup of tea. I also bought some pain-killing tablets as the nerve in my tooth is playing up again.
Went back to the hostel at 4-00 p.m. after an interesting afternoon’s wander. Had also spent ages watching the local board game being played, it really is very skilful and this time was getting serious with a couple of side bets going on.
After talking to the girls briefly I had a shower and sat writing for a while. Irene & Gayle are planning to leave on Sunday as they managed to get a short extension to their permits. I am not certain yet but will probably leave on Sunday or Monday.
At 6-30 p.m. I joined Phil, Gayle & Irene to try and lift my spirits a little. I had felt a little down again thinking of all that travelling ahead of me in the next week or so. We had a really enjoyable evening despite a little tension in the air (or so I felt).
Phil cooked another meal which he had started much earlier this time. During the evening, as the meal progressed, Phil & I had a couple of smokes which were excellent. The sky was almost cloudless and the clouds there were seemed to be silver because the moon so bright.
One could also see the snow-capped mountain tops which glistened under the glare of the moon. It was all incredibly beautiful and impossible to describe adequately.
We had the meal at 9-30 p.m. and it was delicious, the same basic ingredients as last night, but it seemed to taste so much better (perhaps the munchies had intensified the sensitivity of my taste buds). After washing the dishes and cleaning up we sat around chatting for a while before I went to bed at 11-00 p.m.
My tooth was giving me some pain still so Irene gave me a couple of Librium to knock me out. They gave me some pretty spacey feelings before I dropped off into a deep sleep.
Wednesday June 17th
Was awoken at 8-30 a.m. by the Indians who were already bouncing around (they do go to bed a lot earlier).
Phil was already awake doing some work on his earrings and feeling a lot better. I also felt much better, both mentally and physically, with the pains in my chest much relieved (the congestion in my left lung seems to be shifting as quickly as the right did with all that medication).
Got up, had a wash and did some writing for a while. Also chatted to the Indians, the four of them who have been here a while; they are college students, therefore quite young (18 & 19), and have run out of things to do around Darjeeling. They complain they’ve seen everything and are just waiting to leave on Friday.
They’ve certainly seen all the local tourist attractions of which I’ve seen only a couple. The difference is perhaps that they are tourists and I’m just a traveller.
Weather outlook is pretty indifferent with a lot of cloud again. I will probably leave on Sunday when my permit finishes although I’ll see first if the girls manage to extend their permits beyond tomorrow. If Rita really wants to come to meet me here then I should get a telegram by the weekend, if not then I’ll simply assume the whole thing is off.
It’s amazing how an hour can make such a large difference in one’s thinking.
About 11-00 a.m. after writing a couple of postcards I headed downtown. It was very rainy and stayed so most of the day. I had a good chance to test my umbrella which proved to be waterproof enough to keep out the very heavy showers (must be associated with the monsoon weather which has now reached Calcutta).
I went first to the Post Office and after waiting in line for a while, got the necessary stamps and posted the cards. Also checked Post Restante and was pleasantly surprised to get a card from Kim & Geoff along with a telegram from Rita (hastily sent in response to mine of Monday or to the letter and card I don’t know).
Kim & Geoff, despite having booked their bus tickets & having their passports stamped for Darjeeling at the last minute got tickets to Delhi and have headed up to Kashmir, maybe we’ll meet up with them there.
Rita’s telegram was nice and straightforward; “Arrival 27-6, 5 a.m. Bombay – All my love, Rita.” I sat in a restaurant for a while reading over the card & telegram which had just decided my direction for most of the remaining time I have in India.
Ate some samosas and had a couple of teas as I mulled over what I must do now. Decisions have at last been made for me. I will leave here on Sunday or Monday and then have a choice of going to Calcutta which is a day’s travelling away either by train or bus.
From there I can reserve a berth to Bombay arriving on the morning of the 26th, arrange a room, go on speed for the night and head out to the airport in the evening to meet the flight in the early hours of the 27th.
Another alternative depends on when the two girls decide to leave, they are trying to extend their permits until the weekend and if we leave at the same time could travel together to Varanasi. From there Gayle also has to go to Bombay as she has some friends there.
After getting this news I don’t feel elated or depressed, just happy that there is now less uncertainty. How Rita & I will get on together on a different continent and after the experiences I’ve been through is a different matter.
I went back to the hostel at 12-30 p.m. with the rain still pouring down although the sun was also shining and steam was rising from the paths as it rained, quite a sight. Gayle was the only one there as Phil & Irene had gone out. We sat talking for ages until they came back at 3-00 p.m.
We were all planning to go to a monastery twenty minutes away by bus to see the Lama whose birthday it was today. Gayle had ordered a cake with his and Irene’s name written across it in icing. The last bus we could really catch to get to the monastery for a while, before returning at 6-30 p.m. (the last bus coming back) was at 4-00 p.m.
No-one seemed to get their act together very well although Irene and I managed to meet up shortly after 4-00 p.m. The other two didn’t get there until quarter of an hour later. Then the fun started. We got on a bus and had to stand but after ten minutes they were still trying to cram more people onto the bus.
Phil lost his cool a little as they (the bus lackies) tried to make us squeeze together even more. We stood our ground and refused, even getting some support from the locals. As it became obvious they weren’t going to drive off until we were crammed like sardines, not people, we acted (or rather I did, being nearest the entrance).
Got off the bus (with some difficulty) and the other three joined me. We started looking around for jeeps & taxis but they were either too expensive or only wanted to go all the way down to Siliguri. I decided to be positive, having lost any enthusiasm to go to the monastery and arranged to meet the others later.
Walked up the hill with the intention of getting a paper and sitting down for a cup of tea. I was still buzzing from a joint I’d had going down the hill to the bus station. It’s a ‘nice’ habit I’ve got into, every time I go down the hill into town there’s a winding path I take with not so many people and it always seems pretty cool to have a smoke.
On my way back up the hill I stopped for a while watching a couple of very skilled guys playing the local game (which I’d seen played in the Youth Hostel before). I got really enthralled and watched for ages before I saw the other three wander past and I caught up with them.
We went to the really flash restaurant ‘Glenary’s’ initially for afternoon coffee and to eat another cake to celebrate Irene’s birthday, a really delicious cherry one which Gayle had also arranged earlier on. We had a good laugh and later on also indulged in some beer.
I had a bottle of Sun lager and the girls had one between them. It was nicely chilled, tasty and gave me a nice buzz, most West Bengal beer seems to be pretty good. Gayle & I split the bill between us (R18 each), firstly because it was Irene’s birthday and secondly because Phil has arranged to cook us a super-vegetarian meal this evening.
Made our way slowly up to the hostel under the protection of our umbrellas and smoking another joint. It had been a strange day. Would the evening be even better with the influence of the full moon?
We got back to the girl’s room at 7-30 p.m. Phil started his cooking amidst short electricity cuts, on his small stove. Irene helped him by cutting up the vegetables. Gayle & I just lay around writing, reading and talking. I also arranged some music, borrowing a tape from one of the Indians, ‘Let it Be’ by the Beatles.
It was great to hear again and we also listened to some of the tapes the girls have, four of ‘folk songs’ from Nepal & the Himalayas which are surprisingly good with some really way-out sounds.
Phil & I had a couple of smokes of Kerala which were really good. The meal finally emerged, completed as the full moon poked through the heavy cloud cover at 11-00 p.m.
It was a really good meal; chapattis, a vegetable mix, rice & dahl with mangoes as after’s, well worth the wait. With the limited facilities Phil proved to be an excellent cook and I can see a little how involved it’s possible to become in pure vegetarian eating, although of course Phil’s ‘obsession’ is connected with Krishna & higher things.
He’s proved to be a magic guy; whatever his outward appearance and certain ’abnormalities’ are, fade into insignificance against that. Phil believes of course that all his power emanates from another source and so refused to take any credit for the cooking.
Shortly after midnight we had another blow which wiped me out. Irene has also been smoking a little today although Gayle doesn’t as a rule. Went to bed at 1-00 a.m. after another interesting day and a big one for me as far as arrangements for the rest of this trip go.
Tuesday June 16th
Was woken at 6-45 a.m. by some of the Indian lads to look at the snow-capped mountains which were appearing above the clouds.
Felt rough after a disturbed night’s sleep and every time I coughed my left side was very painful. I had a quick look at the snow-capped peaks, especially at Kanchenjunga which is the most dominant mountain here at 28,156 ft. However, I was not in the mood to appreciate so much beauty and after a couple of minutes dived back into bed.
I stayed there until early afternoon, dozing most of the time with my left side giving me a lot of trouble, especially when I breathed deeply or coughed. Phil bought me a cup of tea which eased my chest (and maybe the congestion a little). I kept trying to convince myself the pain was in my mind but that didn’t make it go away.
About 1-30 p.m. I got out of bed and joined the two girls and Phil in the other room. The afternoon was quite entertaining and we all had a good laugh although it sometimes hurt. I found out that it is Irene’s birthday tomorrow, the 17th (apparently the Buddha’s and a Lama they know as well). It also happens to be full moon tomorrow night.
Later on Phil and I went out for a joint which was quite effective. There are some fascinating views around the two valleys today, sometimes looking like cotton-wool, other times steam and often just plain rainclouds. The whole day wasn’t particularly active, more like a Sunday, as I had a hot shower at 4-00 p.m. and afterwards did a little writing before joining the others again.
Gayle went down to town at 5-30 p.m. and we all went down later on to meet her, smoking a couple of joints on the way. Even Irene indulged for the first time in a while, it was good. After stopping off for tea & samosas on the path down we eventually got to a restaurant with windows overlooking the market area where we’d arranged to meet Gayle.
Irene and I had a bit of a laugh between ourselves listening to three German girls. Gayle eventually joined us and after paying our bill Phil took us to a restaurant of his choice at the bottom of town, pure vegetarian and as he said ‘really clean’ (no traces of meat having been cooked there or animal bodies hanging around).
We had an excellent meal which I enjoyed very much. It consisted of dahl, vegetables, chapattis & rice and we bought as much as we could eat. Because of the method of serving food the turnover of people was quite fast, almost a fast-food place (by Indian standards). After the meal we slowly made our way back up a winding path to the hostel.
We had a quiet evening in the girl’s room where we drank some tea and also some brain tonic Phil had bought. It was funny walking around with Phil in town (because of the way he is and the way he dresses) but I really like the guy now. He has a way of life which suits him and all four of us seem to get on with each other pretty well.
It had been a strange day. None of us had felt on top-form (even Phil) although towards the end of the evening we felt much better. The girls occupied themselves sewing & chatting. Phil & I had a couple of pipefuls of opium and later a joint with Irene to celebrate her birthday. We also got a card organised and Gayle had a couple of small presents which she gave to Irene.
I was tired and went to bed at 12-45 a.m. and drifted off fairly quickly into a pleasant sleep.
Monday June 15th
Was awoken at 8-30 a.m. feeling a little heavy-eyed but still pretty good, my pupils were still like pin-heads.
Had breakfast at the nearby restaurant and also chatted to a German guy from Berlin who is staying there. I felt at ease with him and had quite a good conversation in German for the first time in ages. I ate a veg. omelette, two toasts and drank a couple of teas before returning to the room.
The Iranian guy left early this morning and is heading up to Kashmir. The four Indians have gone out for a trip and so Phil & I were left alone in the room although Irene popped in a couple of times making boiled eggs and also some tea (the stuff I got yesterday, very tasty).
It is now 12-30 p.m. and after a morning’s writing I’ve caught up with myself again and the diary is back to the present. It seems amazing that I’ve already been here a week. In a lot of ways so much has happened but time is simply flashing by. I have to renew my special permit as it expires today, hopefully I can get another two weeks here.
The rest of the day turned out to be a bit of a bummer and even though I had a smoke my good humour evaporated quite quickly. I walked down into town but noticed that my left side is giving me a lot of pain. I diagnosed it as a recurrence of what had happened to my right lung. My left one is now congested but hopefully it won’t involve going back to the doctors.
Checked at the Post Office and again there was nothing. There must be something really wrong somewhere along the line. I then went to the foreign registration office where I sat down at a desk and filled out a form. The guy checked my passport & wrote a separate permit but only for another week until Sun 21st.
I asked if there was any possibility of extending it beyond two weeks but he said that was only possible if I went to Calcutta to apply. This pissed me off a lot and although it was a beautiful sunny afternoon I felt pretty down (been taking too much speed lately).
Sat in a restaurant at the top of the hill trying to get my ideas together and analyse why I was suddenly so down again. The sun shone down as I drank a cool Limca but I still felt unhappy and there was that element of uncertainty again.
After that I walked for ages, along hillsides, through the market and also to the Tourist Bureau, who couldn’t help me very much about teaching. They suggested I go to some of the schools, especially a nearby Tibetan one and ask but I ended up not having the courage.
I bought another 10g. of grass which I spent two hours later on ‘refining’ (getting out all the sticks & seeds) and making into fifteen different joints. I also found myself back near the Post Office so I went to a restaurant for a snack, 2 teas, egg sandwich + egg & chips as I composed a telegram to Rita, it wasn’t easy.
Having decided on a suitable message I paid & went to the telegraph office where I had to fill out a form with the message & address all charged at R2 per word and takes 24-36 hours to arrive. The message read as follows: “Rita, was machts du, stop, antwort sofort an PR Darjeeling” (cost with the address R50).
I then headed back to the hostel where I read a paper I’d bought before setting out on the mammoth task of rolling up a few joints. I was watched by one of the Indian guys who was taking a really detached interest in what I was doing and we discussed a lot (with Phil as well) about drugs although the Indian guy has never tried it.
Had one joint at 8-00 p.m. but it wasn’t that good because of my chest (or rather lung) problem. I went to the restaurant where I had vegetable soup and a couple of hot lemons (no help at all) and also chatted for a while to a Danish girl who has been staying at a nearby monastery but leaves tomorrow.
When I got back to the room everyone had already crashed, so I sat writing my diary for a while and deciding whether to go straight to bed (as I feel a bit rough) or have a small pipeful of some opium mix we still have. The latter will probably win. It did. I went to sleep quite quickly, not feeling too bad, at 10-00 p.m.
Sunday June 14th
Woke up at 8-30 p.m. after a good night’s sleep and some really pleasant dreams although I couldn’t remember many details upon waking.
After a wash I got my thoughts together, got dressed and went to a restaurant for breakfast. I had fried eggs on brown bread and a couple of teas. Returned to the room and spent most of the day just writing, talking to some of the others and generally having a relaxing day.
A Sunday atmosphere seemed to prevail and although there was some beautiful sunshine earlier on, it clouded over and there was a lot of rain so that everyone took the chance for a good laze-about. There was one exception, Dave, always very decisive, packed his things and about midday said his farewells.
He is heading back to the monastery where he has been staying in Kathmandu as he wanted to get back especially for a big ceremony at the monastery to celebrate the new moon on the 17th.
Phil & I took a couple of tabs, one dexy and one daprisal each, which kept us going for most of the day although we also had a couple of smokes. We had a really enjoyable day with the four Indians, Phil and myself. Irene also popped in every so often to make tea but most of the time Gayle and her spent in their room.
I managed to get a lot of my diary written in between sundry interruptions, mostly from the Indians who are really nice (from Bombay) although very inquisitive and because of their upbringing quite naïve. They had a look at a lot of my stones and settings and also some of Phil’s work.
He spent a lot of the day trying to get some earrings made but was out of practice and probably because of the speed couldn’t handle all the delicate work involved. He has a lot of loose stones & moulds which he wants to make into a hundred pairs of earrings selling at R30 a pair.
The Indians were also interested in how I made joints (they have never smoked grass) so with them all seated around I separated out the sticks & seeds, cut up the heads finely with some tobacco and rolled up a joint for their entertainment (which I smoked later).
At 3-00 p.m. the Indians went back to bed for a siesta but I was still full of energy and managed to get my writing up to date.
Later in the afternoon I walked down to the town with instructions to buy a couple of things at the market. I smoked the joint I’d made on the way down the hill and had a nice buzz on by the time I reached the market at the lower end of town. I had a really enjoyable time wandering about the market area.
Bought a few things after a lot of searching around, including 100g loose tea for Irene, some cigarette papers and a couple of beautiful Tibetan greeting cards. It is Gayle’s birthday on the 15th (tomorrow) so I got the cards for us all to sign and hopefully give off some good vibes for her 31st birthday & 32nd year.
I wandered slowly back up the hill, along many dark alleys and unlit streets on the other side of the hillside before reaching the restaurant where I had a couple of lemon drinks and some mo-mo’s. I went back to the hostel and read for a while (feeling mentally exhausted from all the writing I’ve done here).
Later on Phil and I had a chillum made with some opium (although we were careful to keep well out of the way). I really enjoyed it, the first time I’ve smoked the stuff. We later joined the girls in their room and had a good laugh.
Phil & I then had another smoke, a joint with hash oil which again was very smooth and kicked me onto another level. Back in the room, the laughs continued and soon it was midnight, so we wished Gayle a happy birthday and I gave her the card which Irene and everybody in our dormitory had signed (including the Iranian who wrote most of his message in Persian).
Gayle seemed quite chuffed, although she says that birthdays don’t mean so much to her anymore. Getting on for 1-00 a.m. the girls went to bed. Phil & I went out for another blow (of Kerala) which really knocked the top of my head off.
Went to bed reeling a little but once I was lying down everything was beautiful and I lay there just letting my mind wander where it wanted to, feeling really good and at peace with myself. I was awake for a long time holding onto that feeling of peace & contentment before drifting off into a dreamy sleep.
Saturday June 13th
Woke up at 8-00 a.m. after a really good night’s sleep, feeling refreshed and ready for another enjoyable day (as it turned out to be).
Had some breakfast of fried eggs, brown bread and a couple of teas at 9-00 a.m. and then returned to the room for the morning. Everybody else had gone out somewhere so I had a couple of hours of peace & quiet to write, read and generally collect my thoughts.
Dissolved a couple of dexys under my tongue, they certainly work a lot more quickly. The weather was fairly normal with cloud cover and the occasional glimpse of sun.
I did a lot of thinking (or dreaming) about the ideas of yesterday and the clarity I’d felt about them for those couple of hours. The teaching idea was a cracker and made me realise how versatile job-wise I have been and also could be in the future
Letting my thoughts wander for a while I created a nice little dream, where I was teaching English, probably to secondary school children and learning some Hindi at the same time.
I let my daydream flow, being supplied here with a small house, teaching during the daytime, taking in the beautiful mountain air, going for treks and holidays to other parts of India in the long holidays (two weeks at Christmas & Easter and two months in the summer).
It would probably all be for a comparatively paltry salary and one couldn’t save much on it but in these surroundings (and in my present frame of mind) I don’t think that would matter. I might even be able to summon up enough energy and enthusiasm to get into writing again as I seem to be doing now.
The atmosphere seems conducive somehow to stimulating the mind and evolving new ideas, definitely something I need at the moment. The only drawback to that at the moment is that I’m starting to find the people around me so interesting again (maybe because my outlook is changing as well) that my writing urge is tempered by wanting to talk to other people.
That also leads to a greater desire to write about what I’m learning from others, which in turn leads to devoting a considerable time trying to record my thoughts. The only problem with that is there doesn’t seem enough time in the day to fit everything in. What a great way to be when you’re not even working.
At times like this I feel that I’m learning again, becoming open to new ideas, which is why travelling is so good. It exposes you to so many different views, ways of living, different experiences that one is bound by definition to become more open-minded and mature.
This trip is certainly proving to be my greatest ‘teacher’ although of course all my other ‘excursions’ have provided the foundations on which I can build. My next trip will hopefully be a further extension of the learning process although where it will all end for me personally, I have no real idea.
If I do return to Frankfurt to work, then hopefully I’ll be able to maintain some of the things I’ve learnt on this trip, putting them into practice and being more open, honest and ‘available’ to people (although I can already see that it will require a lot of strength).
About midday a group of us gathered in the dormitory; Phil, Dave, Irene, Gail (the Aussie girl) and got involved in a really interesting conversation touching on many subjects including the differences of concepts as seen both in the east and the west.
At 2-30 p.m. Dave & I walked down the hill and smoked a really nice joint which he’d rolled with a little hash he had left. He doesn’t smoke very much now but still enjoys an occasional blow.
Checked at the Post Office but there was still no news from either Rita or Kim & Geoff. I have no expectations of getting anything at the moment so if something arrives then it will be an unexpected surprise. I’ve stopped worrying about what Rita is planning or doing now. I feel that whatever happens will happen anyway, the ball is no longer in my court.
Dave & I then wandered around and walked down through the town and a short way down the hillside where we sat on a fence looking out over some beautiful tea plantations. We became quite a spectacle for the passing local people as we sat engrossed in conversation.
A lot of our ideas and concepts we found to be along similar lines. As he explained, Tibetan Buddhism and what he believes cannot be explained in normal western religious terms. The eastern concept of religion is something completely different and in western eyes would probably not even be classified as a religion as such, more a way of life.
We had a fascinating couple of hours discussing our ideas and the way we interpreted them as we walked through the winding streets of the town again and ended up at the little café I had frequented the day before. Unfortunately my little bench was piled high with wood chippings so we were forced to sit inside and carried on our discussion over some tea.
At 5-00 p.m. we started to make our way casually back up the hillside to the hostel where we again joined Phil, Irene and later the Indian guys + the Iranian who had been out on a day-trip. The conversation flourished again although I didn’t take an active part most of the time as I was trying to write my diary.
At 8-00 p.m. Phil, Dave & I had another blow of Kerala which was excellent, some of the best grass I’ve had in my life; very clean, mellow but with a nice upwards kick to it. Dave & I then went to the restaurant nearby and had another enthralling conversation over mo-mo’s (a Tibetan delicacy, steamed with pork), an omelette and tea.
We talked about my situation with Rita (he had a similar situation in the past) and gave me some very honest advice about what I should do. Even if a telegram arrives I should ignore it and disappear for my remaining 6-8 weeks here and forget about her.
Back at the hostel we all had a good laugh trying varying yoga positions which two of the Indian lads have practiced since childhood. My western muscles weren’t subtle or lithe enough to do any except the simplest exercises.
At 11-00 p.m., when the others were already resting, Phil & I went out for another joint before I returned to writing my diary by candlelight. Phil was restless and I seemed to be getting nowhere fast (although writing a lot) so at midnight he dug out a chillum from his case along with the remains of some Kashmiri hash oil which he made up for us.
We sat out on the balcony smoking which was another great experience although I still haven’t got the knack of smoking a chillum properly. The hash oil and tobacco mix went down so smoothly and gave off a beautiful hit and we just sat there for a while before going back inside.
Wrote my diary before lying in bed for a while, really mellowed out by the Kashmiri stuff, before drifting off into a pleasant semi-conscious state where everything seemed so surreal (there was a lot of electrical activity in the distance). From this state, at some point, I slipped completely into a really relaxed sleep.
Friday June 12th
Woke up after a good night’s sleep at 8-00 a.m. but still not feeling top-fit with the sniffles and a cough, but that is probably due to the damp atmosphere at the moment.
There is a dramatic change when the sun shines through for a while. Had a wash, got dressed and went for a meal at the restaurant just down the road.
Sat there in a deserted place for at least ten minutes before anyone deigned to make an appearance. I had three fried eggs on plain brown bread and two teas, which provided a good start to the day (unfortunately they don’t have such luxuries as muesli or curd here).
Got back to the hostel at 9-00 a.m. and after chatting to the Indians for a while I got down to writing a letter to my sister. The weather is pleasant with a few patches of blue sky and the sun manages to force its way through every so often.
I was interrupted several times by the English guy who was also writing some letters and seemed to want to talk a lot. He also helped me a little though by making a ground-up mixture of black peppers which I took and which helped clear up the sniffles for a while.
As he also wanted to get a lot done I gave him a couple of dexys which he dissolved under his tongue (because they work faster). In exchange he gave me two tabs of ‘Daprisal’ which are meant to be speed mixed with some barbiturates.
After an hour’s hard graft I managed to get letter to Chris written, mostly a summary (hopefully detached) of what had happened in Thailand. As you can imagine it was very difficult (even with my small writing) to fit even the most basic facts into the aerogramme but I think it was quite successful.
Two of the girls from Ghandrung, the Australian girl and the Swiss one (Irene) came to the hostel checking it out. The third girl had left for Calcutta today and they felt like a change. They like the place and moved in later that day (although I didn’t see them again until the next morning).
As it was pouring with rain outside we sat around chatting and they also had a look at some of my stones & settings. The English guy also produced some of his many stones which he sets himself in earrings. We sat around talking for ages until the storm cleared at 1-00 p.m. and the girls went to collect their stuff.
Can’t pin it down exactly but it was at this time that I started feeling exultant and really happy & content inside. I could tell that the rest of the day was going to be really great and as it happened (hard to explain) the day just generated good vibes and everything went really well.
I was intending to go to the Post Office, post my letter and check for a telegram but was delayed when I got chatting to the Australian ‘yogi’. I found him fascinating; really inspiring to talk to, no pushiness about his Buddhist faith but we sustained a really refreshing conversation for well over an hour.
His attitude was so open and I felt a real empathy with him, he explained a little about how he had got into the faith and the effects it had on his life (obviously completely changing his outlooks and attitudes). I also explained a little of my background and the reasons for my scepticism about differing religions.
When he had finished talking though I felt the same as I do towards my parent’s beliefs, that when they are so genuine & sincere then all I can do is step back and respect their utter devotion and strength (whether derived from another source or from within themselves).
Comparing him (Dave) and my mother for instance (although the religious beliefs are different) I could sense the same peace, contentment and gentleness (not softness) within them brought about by the confidence that this life is only part of a greater scheme of things.
As Dave said, I may look back at this period of time in a year’s time as the start of some sort of spiritual search although he explained that the term ‘spiritual’ could cover many things. For instance, a finding out of one’s self rather than any religious commitment (which I feel I couldn’t enter into again).
It was a fascinating chat and Dave has certainly got his act together much better than the English guy, who like many westerners in India get very mixed-up, lose a lot of their initial aims and consequently go a little crazy (as the western world would see it).
In India the sight of sadus (people who give up all possessions, relying on other Indians’ generosity, and wander the country in search of ‘truth’) is a normal thing so that many ‘western freaks’ are accepted because basically India is very tolerant of such things.
About 2-30 p.m. I managed to drag myself away and headed down a muddy path towards town smoking one of my pre-made joints. By the time I reached the Post Office I was feeling in an excellent frame of mind and as the afternoon progressed this great feeling persisted.
I posted my letter to Chris and checked with Post Restante. There was no telegram and also no message from Kim & Geoff (maybe they decided to head straight to Kashmir instead).
The day was still overcast with patches of sun although that seems to be the pattern at the moment, which I don’t mind. I usually wear a T-shirt, jeans, cardigan and flip-flops at the moment and feel quite comfortable, although I might start wearing my shoes again soon as the flip-flops tend to splash mud onto my jeans after a heavy rainfall.
The more I see this place though the more I like it. Just to give the reader a small idea of what Darjeeling is like I’ll quote a few lines from ‘Fodor’s 1981 guide to India & Nepal’:
“The town is built like a series of landings joined by flights of steps and almost vertical lanes. The ‘top floor’ is mainly for visitors. Along the Mall or Main Street are the large hotels, café’s, handsome villas and attractive shops. The ‘middle floor’ is very Indian in flavour: the smaller hotels, Indian restaurants and more shops are here. The ‘ground floor’ is the most fascinating since it is here that Darjeeling’s working population, Nepalese, Tibetans, Bhutias, Lepchas (probably the original natives of Darjeeling) all in colourful tribal costumes throng the bazaars and market places.”
After the Post Office I wandered around for a while before heading down to the square near the toy train railway station. There were a couple of grubby little restaurants near the station, one of which had a small wooden bench where I sat drinking tea, watching the people and events. My happiness seemed infectious and I amused the two young boys in the restaurant.
On leaving the restaurant I made what could have been a terrible mistake. In my state of euphoria I left my money-belt (passport, T/Chqs, plane ticket) on the bench as I hadn’t been wearing it. I still haven’t learnt the lesson of being extra-careful which should by now be deeply engrained.
I realised my forgetfulness about a hundred yards away and literally raced back to the shop. As I got back one of the boys had seen the wallet and was about to come racing after me with it when he saw me returning. We exchanged pleased glances, I grasped his shoulder and went on my way again, grateful that this wasn’t another part of India.
Here you seem to get more pleasant reactions to courtesy and a smile with less hassle even than in Nepal. A couple of young kids have approached me here for money but a gentle ‘no’ with a regretful smile works wonders, whereas in other parts I’ve seen, such as Delhi & Varanasi or even in Kathmandu, the hassles happen much more frequently and can be strangely upsetting.
After the incident with my money-belt though I wanted to be a little more generous towards people and feeling good meant that I could do this, but in slightly different ways, by being polite to shopkeepers and often getting good vibes in return as well.
Even the Indians I met with their standard opening-line of ‘Where are you coming from?’ didn’t get my usual blunt reply. After buying a paper (Times of India) I sat on another wooden bench (accommodating three this time) in the confines of the station.
I sat there for a couple of hours reading the news, watching people, with a strange clarity of mind & purpose which I haven’t felt for a long time. I chatted to several people as I sat there giving cigarettes to my companions and having some very interesting conversations.
There was one incredibly dark guy, obviously a local, fairly old (anywhere from 50-80) with the brightest blue eyes I’ve ever seen in an Asian face, a fantastic sight.
Later I was joined by an ex-army local with whom I had a great conversation about Britain and the way Darjeeling had gone downhill in the years since British rule, especially the cleanliness of the place although I explained to him that England wasn’t exactly a haven of cleanliness itself.
At 5-00 p.m. I left my vantage point and walked to the lower end of town where I spent ages window-shopping, looking around some great bookshops, souvenir shops and craft shops The Indians produce some great books, some very humorous and others on a huge variety of subjects.
Spent a long time looking around the markets and slowly making my way back up the hill as dusk came on. I also bought an umbrella for R18, a really sturdy one with a wooden handle, strong material and a metal tip, which will double as a walking aid going up all the hills here. I just hope it is waterproof, if so then it’s a real bargain.
After such a good day I decided that I deserved a good meal and a big treat to end off the day in style. For my feast I chose a really posh looking place called Gleneray’s Restaurant which, once inside, looked like a remnant of the British Empire, really pucker, top-hole and all that.
The only ‘problem’ was that I was the only westerner eating there. My fellow-guests were a mixture of upper-caste families, groups of men (drinking beer) and some young fellows, obviously from the local public school. It all seemed very jolly & colonial (except for the lack of British officers & officials of course).
Waiters were all in white uniforms with numbers on their breast pockets; No. 13 looked a bit haggard from the responsibility. They also had little blue caps with silver stars on the left hand side. I was attended to by the head guy dressed in an impeccable suit at my table-clothed table with accompanying flowers in a beautiful vase.
I was very English and proper with him, although with the correct amount of politeness (despite my flip-flops, jeans & T-shirt amongst the very proper dinner dress of the Indian diners). I ordered a Navraton Palao (recommended by an Indian at the next table) with vegetable curry (suggested by the big boss, how could I refuse?).
My weakness also prevailed and I had a nice cold beer. It was called Guru and is reputed to be the best (R14, very expensive luxury for 650 ml.). The beer was excellent though, nicely cooled and gave me a nice buzz to kick me one more stage near happiness.
Had a really good time there, looking at people and people looking at me, creating a smile from a kid sometimes. They also had music, old colonial (Indian) style which was very entertaining. The meal arrived quickly at 7-30 p.m.
I’d arrived just before the rush of people and I was served with all proper pomp & circumstance (and cutlery) and managed to eat my way through two delicious platefuls of excellent palao & curry. The food was very spicy which was good as I quenched my thirst with the cold beer.
After sitting around observing, I paid the bill which came to R27 and left a R3 tip. It seemed the British thing to do you know. I thanked the boss, sent compliments to the chef and walked out feeling like a king.
As you may have gathered by the number of pages, today I fell in love with the town of Darjeeling. I would add that at the moment there are a lot of clouds around but even so the glimpses of beauty I’ve seen over the tea plantations, across the mountainsides & valleys and the town itself have sold the place to me.
During the afternoon, while sitting around at the station, I had real clarity of feeling. Things all seemed so simple and clear to me. I’m not sure whether it was the grass, the tabs, or something else trying to tell me something special (India, especially an area like this near Tibet, can do that to you sometimes).
As well as really enjoying my time at the café and in the restaurant I also had another couple of ideas, one large & one small. The small one was that I should send Jan a copy of the Times of India which I think she’d find interesting, especially some of the articles which refer to the Indian way of life.
The other idea occurred to me as I was reading the paper and saw job advertisements for English teachers and reports of shortages across the country. All of them (the big ones) need people with degrees but perhaps there is a shortage in this area and if I put on my flash clothes, took copies of my exam certificates they might find a job for me starting in September.
Some hope but the thought was very clear and made me feel even better, it added to the whole magical feeling of the day. At the time both these thoughts filled my mind and seemed so fresh, the small one will be easy (if I remember) but the large one I must enquire about.
After the meal I wandered back to the room where I arrived 8-30 p.m. intending to write reams about what a great day I’d had but other things intervened.
All of us in the room, it’s a good crowd, got chatting to each other and time went very quickly, even the Iranian managed to join in a little with his limited English. The others were the four Indians (very proper chaps but very nice with it), Dave the Australian ‘yogi’ (Tibetan Buddhist as I’ve found out since), Phil (the English guy) and myself.
At 10-30 p.m. Dave, Phil & I went out and smoked a joint of Phil’s Kerala grass (meant to be some of the best in India). It was excellent and topped the day off really incredibly. Unfortunately I felt so good and relaxed that I couldn’t write my diary (not incapable).
Phil & I have just smoked a chillum of Kashmiri hash oil & tobacco, beautiful smoke which went down like a dream and gave a really mellow high which suited my mood beautifully. With a big thunderstorm in the distance and later rain (which sounded like the crackling of fire to my stoned ears), Fred fell into a blissful, valium-induced sleep at 12-15 a.m.
Thursday June 11th
Woke up after a good night’s sleep at 8-00 a.m. but still not feeling top-fit with the sniffles and a cough, but that is probably due to the damp atmosphere at the moment.
There is a dramatic change when the sun shines through for a while. Had a wash, got dressed and went for a meal at the restaurant just down the road.
Sat there in a deserted place for at least ten minutes before anyone deigned to make an appearance. I had three fried eggs on plain brown bread and two teas, which provided a good start to the day (unfortunately they don’t have such luxuries as muesli or curd here).
Got back to the hostel at 9-00 a.m. and after chatting to the Indians for a while I got down to writing a letter to my sister. The weather is pleasant with a few patches of blue sky and the sun manages to force its way through every so often.
I was interrupted several times by the English guy who was also writing some letters and seemed to want to talk a lot. He also helped me a little though by making a ground-up mixture of black peppers which I took and which helped clear up the sniffles for a while.
As he also wanted to get a lot done I gave him a couple of dexys which he dissolved under his tongue (because they work faster). In exchange he gave me two tabs of ‘Daprisal’ which are meant to be speed mixed with some barbiturates.
After an hour’s hard graft I managed to get letter to Chris written, mostly a summary (hopefully detached) of what had happened in Thailand. As you can imagine it was very difficult (even with my small writing) to fit even the most basic facts into the aerogramme but I think it was quite successful.
Two of the girls from Ghandrung, the Australian girl and the Swiss one (Irene) came to the hostel checking it out. The third girl had left for Calcutta today and they felt like a change. They like the place and moved in later that day (although I didn’t see them again until the next morning).
As it was pouring with rain outside we sat around chatting and they also had a look at some of my stones & settings. The English guy also produced some of his many stones which he sets himself in earrings. We sat around talking for ages until the storm cleared at 1-00 p.m. and the girls went to collect their stuff.
Can’t pin it down exactly but it was at this time that I started feeling exultant and really happy & content inside. I could tell that the rest of the day was going to be really great and as it happened (hard to explain) the day just generated good vibes and everything went really well.
I was intending to go to the Post Office, post my letter and check for a telegram but was delayed when I got chatting to the Australian ‘yogi’. I found him fascinating; really inspiring to talk to, no pushiness about his Buddhist faith but we sustained a really refreshing conversation for well over an hour.
His attitude was so open and I felt a real empathy with him, he explained a little about how he had got into the faith and the effects it had on his life (obviously completely changing his outlooks and attitudes). I also explained a little of my background and the reasons for my scepticism about differing religions.
When he had finished talking though I felt the same as I do towards my parent’s beliefs, that when they are so genuine & sincere then all I can do is step back and respect their utter devotion and strength (whether derived from another source or from within themselves).
Comparing him (Dave) and my mother for instance (although the religious beliefs are different) I could sense the same peace, contentment and gentleness (not softness) within them brought about by the confidence that this life is only part of a greater scheme of things.
As Dave said, I may look back at this period of time in a year’s time as the start of some sort of spiritual search although he explained that the term ‘spiritual’ could cover many things. For instance, a finding out of one’s self rather than any religious commitment (which I feel I couldn’t enter into again).
It was a fascinating chat and Dave has certainly got his act together much better than the English guy, who like many westerners in India get very mixed-up, lose a lot of their initial aims and consequently go a little crazy (as the western world would see it).
In India the sight of sadus (people who give up all possessions, relying on other Indians’ generosity, and wander the country in search of ‘truth’) is a normal thing so that many ‘western freaks’ are accepted because basically India is very tolerant of such things.
About 2-30 p.m. I managed to drag myself away and headed down a muddy path towards town smoking one of my pre-made joints. By the time I reached the Post Office I was feeling in an excellent frame of mind and as the afternoon progressed this great feeling persisted.
I posted my letter to Chris and checked with Post Restante. There was no telegram and also no message from Kim & Geoff (maybe they decided to head straight to Kashmir instead).
The day was still overcast with patches of sun although that seems to be the pattern at the moment, which I don’t mind. I usually wear a T-shirt, jeans, cardigan and flip-flops at the moment and feel quite comfortable, although I might start wearing my shoes again soon as the flip-flops tend to splash mud onto my jeans after a heavy rainfall.
The more I see this place though the more I like it. Just to give the reader a small idea of what Darjeeling is like I’ll quote a few lines from ‘Fodor’s 1981 guide to India & Nepal’:
“The town is built like a series of landings joined by flights of steps and almost vertical lanes. The ‘top floor’ is mainly for visitors. Along the Mall or Main Street are the large hotels, café’s, handsome villas and attractive shops. The ‘middle floor’ is very Indian in flavour: the smaller hotels, Indian restaurants and more shops are here. The ‘ground floor’ is the most fascinating since it is here that Darjeeling’s working population, Nepalese, Tibetans, Bhutias, Lepchas (probably the original natives of Darjeeling) all in colourful tribal costumes throng the bazaars and market places.”
After the Post Office I wandered around for a while before heading down to the square near the toy train railway station. There were a couple of grubby little restaurants near the station, one of which had a small wooden bench where I sat drinking tea, watching the people and events. My happiness seemed infectious and I amused the two young boys in the restaurant.
On leaving the restaurant I made what could have been a terrible mistake. In my state of euphoria I left my money-belt (passport, T/Chqs, plane ticket) on the bench as I hadn’t been wearing it. I still haven’t learnt the lesson of being extra-careful which should by now be deeply engrained.
I realised my forgetfulness about a hundred yards away and literally raced back to the shop. As I got back one of the boys had seen the wallet and was about to come racing after me with it when he saw me returning. We exchanged pleased glances, I grasped his shoulder and went on my way again, grateful that this wasn’t another part of India.
Here you seem to get more pleasant reactions to courtesy and a smile with less hassle even than in Nepal. A couple of young kids have approached me here for money but a gentle ‘no’ with a regretful smile works wonders, whereas in other parts I’ve seen, such as Delhi & Varanasi or even in Kathmandu, the hassles happen much more frequently and can be strangely upsetting.
After the incident with my money-belt though I wanted to be a little more generous towards people and feeling good meant that I could do this, but in slightly different ways, by being polite to shopkeepers and often getting good vibes in return as well.
Even the Indians I met with their standard opening-line of ‘Where are you coming from?’ didn’t get my usual blunt reply. After buying a paper (Times of India) I sat on another wooden bench (accommodating three this time) in the confines of the station.
I sat there for a couple of hours reading the news, watching people, with a strange clarity of mind & purpose which I haven’t felt for a long time. I chatted to several people as I sat there giving cigarettes to my companions and having some very interesting conversations.
There was one incredibly dark guy, obviously a local, fairly old (anywhere from 50-80) with the brightest blue eyes I’ve ever seen in an Asian face, a fantastic sight.
Later I was joined by an ex-army local with whom I had a great conversation about Britain and the way Darjeeling had gone downhill in the years since British rule, especially the cleanliness of the place although I explained to him that England wasn’t exactly a haven of cleanliness itself.
At 5-00 p.m. I left my vantage point and walked to the lower end of town where I spent ages window-shopping, looking around some great bookshops, souvenir shops and craft shops The Indians produce some great books, some very humorous and others on a huge variety of subjects.
Spent a long time looking around the markets and slowly making my way back up the hill as dusk came on. I also bought an umbrella for R18, a really sturdy one with a wooden handle, strong material and a metal tip, which will double as a walking aid going up all the hills here. I just hope it is waterproof, if so then it’s a real bargain.
After such a good day I decided that I deserved a good meal and a big treat to end off the day in style. For my feast I chose a really posh looking place called Gleneray’s Restaurant which, once inside, looked like a remnant of the British Empire, really pucker, top-hole and all that.
The only ‘problem’ was that I was the only westerner eating there. My fellow-guests were a mixture of upper-caste families, groups of men (drinking beer) and some young fellows, obviously from the local public school. It all seemed very jolly & colonial (except for the lack of British officers & officials of course).
Waiters were all in white uniforms with numbers on their breast pockets; No. 13 looked a bit haggard from the responsibility. They also had little blue caps with silver stars on the left hand side. I was attended to by the head guy dressed in an impeccable suit at my table-clothed table with accompanying flowers in a beautiful vase.
I was very English and proper with him, although with the correct amount of politeness (despite my flip-flops, jeans & T-shirt amongst the very proper dinner dress of the Indian diners). I ordered a Navraton Palao (recommended by an Indian at the next table) with vegetable curry (suggested by the big boss, how could I refuse?).
My weakness also prevailed and I had a nice cold beer. It was called Guru and is reputed to be the best (R14, very expensive luxury for 650 ml.). The beer was excellent though, nicely cooled and gave me a nice buzz to kick me one more stage near happiness.
Had a really good time there, looking at people and people looking at me, creating a smile from a kid sometimes. They also had music, old colonial (Indian) style which was very entertaining. The meal arrived quickly at 7-30 p.m.
I’d arrived just before the rush of people and I was served with all proper pomp & circumstance (and cutlery) and managed to eat my way through two delicious platefuls of excellent palao & curry. The food was very spicy which was good as I quenched my thirst with the cold beer.
After sitting around observing, I paid the bill which came to R27 and left a R3 tip. It seemed the British thing to do you know. I thanked the boss, sent compliments to the chef and walked out feeling like a king.
As you may have gathered by the number of pages, today I fell in love with the town of Darjeeling. I would add that at the moment there are a lot of clouds around but even so the glimpses of beauty I’ve seen over the tea plantations, across the mountainsides & valleys and the town itself have sold the place to me.
During the afternoon, while sitting around at the station, I had real clarity of feeling. Things all seemed so simple and clear to me. I’m not sure whether it was the grass, the tabs, or something else trying to tell me something special (India, especially an area like this near Tibet, can do that to you sometimes).
As well as really enjoying my time at the café and in the restaurant I also had another couple of ideas, one large & one small. The small one was that I should send Jan a copy of the Times of India which I think she’d find interesting, especially some of the articles which refer to the Indian way of life.
The other idea occurred to me as I was reading the paper and saw job advertisements for English teachers and reports of shortages across the country. All of them (the big ones) need people with degrees but perhaps there is a shortage in this area and if I put on my flash clothes, took copies of my exam certificates they might find a job for me starting in September.
Some hope but the thought was very clear and made me feel even better, it added to the whole magical feeling of the day. At the time both these thoughts filled my mind and seemed so fresh, the small one will be easy (if I remember) but the large one I must enquire about.
After the meal I wandered back to the room where I arrived 8-30 p.m. intending to write reams about what a great day I’d had but other things intervened.
All of us in the room, it’s a good crowd, got chatting to each other and time went very quickly, even the Iranian managed to join in a little with his limited English. The others were the four Indians (very proper chaps but very nice with it), Dave the Australian ‘yogi’ (Tibetan Buddhist as I’ve found out since), Phil (the English guy) and myself.
At 10-30 p.m. Dave, Phil & I went out and smoked a joint of Phil’s Kerala grass (meant to be some of the best in India). It was excellent and topped the day off really incredibly. Unfortunately I felt so good and relaxed that I couldn’t write my diary (not incapable).
Phil & I have just smoked a chillum of Kashmiri hash oil & tobacco, beautiful smoke which went down like a dream and gave a really mellow high which suited my mood beautifully. With a big thunderstorm in the distance and later rain (which sounded like the crackling of fire to my stoned ears), Fred fell into a blissful, valium-induced sleep at 12-15 a.m.
Wednesday June 10th
Slept really well and didn’t wake up until 8-00 a.m. I am still feeling rough but a lot better than yesterday. I took my prescribed medicines and read for a while before dozing off again until nearly 11-00 a.m.
Chatted for a while to an Australian guy, Dave, who comes from Perth. He has loads of books with him, a sort of travelling library. I only had one book to trade, ‘Jupiter’s Travels’. As he leaves to go trekking tomorrow I will leave it with the warden. In exchange he very generously gave me a book called ‘Lifetide’ by Lyall Watson, a thinner book on meditation and a magazine on China. They should make some interesting and perhaps enlightening reading.
Also met Ann, an Australian girl, who happens to be a doctor so she gave me a free bedside consultation. She seemed quite re-assuring and said that what I had was a mild form of bronchitis. Ann didn’t agree totally with the medication but suggested I give it a try first.
When they had both left I took some more of my medication and read for a while before dropping off to sleep again for a lot of the afternoon. Woke again when Dave came back and put some music on. He has a cassette player with about ten different tapes. We listened to Dire Straits, Pink Floyd and later (stoned) Fleetwood Mac.
I got up at 4-00 p.m. feeling a little better if weak, made my bed (which I’d really disrupted), had a wash and then got dressed in some warm clothes as the weather had been cloudy, cool & rainy for most of the day. I looked a bit of a mess but didn’t feel up to having a shower yet.
We sat around chatting about various things for a while before being joined by the guy from Newcastle (no name has emerged yet) and a Swiss French guy. Pascal had some Nepali hash which he had bought here for R20 a tola. There is also apparently a shop here that sells a hash & ganjha (and opium, but under license).
In some ways I heard it is much easier here, it must even be semi-legal, than in Kathmandu although you have to be pretty cool about it in the Youth Hostel. I rolled the joint as the Swiss guy couldn’t (or so he said) and gave it to the other three first so they wouldn’t catch my cold. I was given the last third of which I smoked half, leaving some for later.
Got well off on that little and also didn’t have too many problems with my cough. After the joint I was feeling a lot happier. In that mood we all went down to a restaurant a hundred yards down the road which was reachable in my present state.
I had an excellent, cheap & filling meal consisting of 2 teas, vegetable soup, veg. omelette, 3 toasted brown breads & butter, all for a mere R6-20. The place was full of western faces and for the first time in ages I saw that the most of any nationality there were English; the three of us, the Newcastle guy (returning from a year in Australia), myself and another English guy.
We were of course outnumbered by the people running the restaurant who seemed very nice, friendly and much like the Nepalese. Coming here isn’t really like returning to India except of course for the many Indian tourists who also seem pretty cool because they’re on holiday, no need to hassle so much.
Chatted to Dave for ages. He had been a prison officer in Australia and was therefore very interested in my reactions to the time I spent in Thai prison. I had related a short version of events to the other three earlier on, it’s certainly an experience which interests other people and when I’m in the right company I feel alright talking about it.
As I explained to Dave it is all now part of my past. I don’t feel any resentment because of it. Although it was an experience I wouldn’t like to go through again I’ve learnt a lot from it.
I also probably become rather blasé about the whole experience which is one thing I must try to avoid doing. It’s difficult not to feel a little ‘one-upmanship’. When I start thinking like that I always remember Stan which brings me down very quickly.
We left the restaurant at 8-15 p.m. and went back to the hostel although I got a little breathless walking up the hill. I must take it easy tomorrow although I’d like to meet Geoff & Kim if possible, I’ll see how I feel tomorrow. I had the hardest shit since the start of this trip (must be the medication) although I had some pretty solid ones on opium.
All this bowel talk must be the influence of Kim, Geoff & Brom to whom it seems second nature, they are more open (no pun intended). I then sat at my ‘desk’ for a while although it probably made me seem a little anti-social.
When I’d finished writing I joined in the general conversation of the dorm which is full to capacity tonight. There are nine beds in all with mine being the odd one out (no locker but the compensatory writing table & mirror). Four Indian students arrived today for at least a week’s stay. There is also an oldish Iranian guy who has been here for a while and although he can’t speak English very well is still an extremely nice person. The remaining four are all ‘westerners’.
At 9-30 p.m. I made up a joint from a little local grass Dave had, which we smoked on the balcony looking out at a beautiful night, cloudless with a half new-moon. It is incredible to think how fast time is now racing by, in another week it will be two months since I was kicked out of Thailand and four months ago that I flew out of Frankfurt.
If I’m well enough tomorrow I’ll try and visit the ganjha shop to see what sort of selection they have, it will seem strange going to a shop to buy the stuff.
After a little more conversation the lights were switched off at 10-45 p.m. and everyone tried to sleep. Perhaps because I had slept so much yesterday and despite the medication I couldn’t sleep so I took some valium and was asleep by midnight.
Tuesday June 9th
Woke up several times during the night because it was so cold (even with three blankets) and I also had violent cramps in my stomach from the diaphragm down to my testicles which also kept me awake a lot.
I eventually woke up properly at 9-30 a.m. after a very disturbed night’s sleep and tried to analyse what was wrong with my body now after a basically healthy time in Nepal. I concluded that it was probably a reaction to all the various poisons I’ve been subjecting my body to in the last five weeks.
For a lot of the morning it was cloudy, cold and damp which didn’t help much. Every time I coughed, sneezed or even tried to go to the toilet it caused intense pain to the intestinal area. I assumed that I’d also strained my diaphragm carrying my bag up the hill yesterday although that didn’t seem to make sense as I’ve carried heavier loads longer distances.
After a wash & brushing my teeth I sat on the edge of my bed writing at the table which helped a lot as my body was bent forward and there was not so much pain as before. I wrote a letter to Jan to accompany the next fifty pages of the diary which I sealed in a large envelope to be posted later on.
I also wrote a letter to Kim & Geoff telling them where I’m staying so that we can meet up sometime even if they decide not to stay at the Youth Hostel. They sometimes like a bit more privacy and may try to get a double room nearer town.
It was close to midday before I took the letters, my passport & the last DM500 T/Chq and started to walk down the winding road towards the centre of town. Walking was a lot more painful than I’d imagined and I had to take things very slowly otherwise I’d double up in pain.
Once in town I decided to seek out a doctor’s opinion on my illness. Quite a lot of the chemists have doctors on the premises to diagnose the less serious ailments. I went to a place called ‘The Economic Pharmacy’ and after a short wait saw a Dr. Adhya who gave me a thorough check-up and asked many questions about where I’d been and how long the cold had been hanging on.
For a consultation fee of R16 (quite reasonable) he informed me that I had a high temperature, an infection of my throat and nasal passages plus a lot of fluid & congestion in my right lung which was leading to the intense pain under my right rib cage and in my lower stomach. My left lung was apparently fine.
He prescribed me some drugs, a two day course of various drugs ranging from an anti-allergic expectorant through to some Pyrigesic (paracetamol) tablets to some Novamax (amoxicillin) capsules. The doctor told me to stay in bed for a day or two, take the tablets regularly and then if I still had problems go back to him again.
Still feeling rough I went firstly to the Post Office where I sent Jan the next edition (105g. R15-85) and also left the note for Kim & Geoff at Post Restante. I checked whether a telegram had arrived but there was, as expected, nothing as yet.
I then went firstly to Grindlay’s bank who had only the $ rate and couldn’t change DM’s. Secondly I tried the State Bank of India where I chatted to the young lady at the T/Chq section for a while. She seemed interested in the paradox that I was also a banker but that I could take such long holidays and still have a job to go back to.
She was extremely efficient, although the exchange rate wasn’t too healthy, DM500@3.55=R1775, and I received my money within five minutes, very unusual for India.
Started the slow, tortuous walk back up the hill. A normal walk of fifteen minutes took me well over half-an-hour as I had to keep stopping because I was having problems breathing and also felt very weak. I stopped at a restaurant near to the Youth Hostel and talked to a Newcastle guy who was staying in the same dorm.
He had previously also had the same problem and reckoned it had a lot to do with the amount he’d smoked in Nepal. I had a couple of teas, a packet of glucose biscuits and some orange squash to wash down the first of my medications before going back to the hostel at 2-00 p.m.
Once there I had to sign my name and list numerous details about myself in the registration book. I also managed to get two extra blankets to try and sweat out the temperature and keep me warmer at night. The doctor had also suggested a hot water bottle and boiling hot foot bath to help clear up the cold and pains in my right lung but I think that may not be possible here.
After sitting around for a while writing I climbed into bed at 3-30 p.m. and read ‘Jupiter’s Travels’ for a while before dozing off from the expectorant which is also making me burp a lot, relieving a lot of excess wind which seems to have built up in my stomach. Well, I suppose it’s better than farting all the time.
I slept well and sweated out some of my fever during the early evening hours. The drugs are pretty powerful and left me dazed and knocked out. I only stayed awake for half-an-hour before dozing off again at 8-30 p.m.
Monday June 8th
Slept very well most of the night, although I was sometimes awoken as the bus hit a large pothole or bounced along a particularly bad piece of road. I was soon able to drop off back to sleep though I was awake for the sunrise which was also very colourful.
The landscape had changed completely since last night as we were now travelling over the plains of south-eastern Nepal with the Himalayas standing out as dark shadows in the background.
After one more stop we eventually arrived in Kakavita, the border town, at 7-00 a.m. after a thirteen hour journey which had proved not nearly as arduous as expected because of the amount of sleep I’d had.
Mike & Chris had a lot of luggage, much of which they’ll be sending home or selling, so they hired a jeep for all three of us into Siliguri where we arrived at 8-30 a.m. It would have been too much of a rush for me to try and catch the toy train to Darjeeling as the last one leaves at 9-00 a.m. taking 7½-8 hours to get there.
Had some breakfast of tea & toast before negotiating the price of a taxi. We eventually got one to take us for R100. The three of us were in the back seat, an Indian family of four, parents and two small children, took the front seat.
Eventually left at 9-30 a.m. and after a while on the level we started to climb up into the mountains again. The Indian roads are better than the Nepalese but are still very narrow with barely enough room for vehicles to pass sometimes. The railway also follows the road for much of the way, crossing it quite often as it slowly chugs its way up the hillside.
The scenery was absolutely indescribable and at some of the lower levels looked very European, especially like the mountains and valleys of Switzerland.
There was one small mishap along the way as with an almighty bang one of the tyres blew out. We left the driver to change the wheel as Mike, Chris & I went off for another nice Nepali joint. The driver was so quick changing the wheel that we ended up finishing the joint in the car which I don’t think pleased the driver too much.
I later offered him a Nepalese cigarette which he refused and later asked me if there was ganjha in them to which I said no and confused him even more. Earlier on I had taken my Monday malaria tab, an antibiotic Brom gave me to clear up my cold and three dexys to see me through the day alright.
We made several stops along the way and had a chance to see the massive plain spread out in front of us and the mountains all around. There was some fantastic scenery which I won’t even try to describe, it was one of those ‘on the spur of the moment’ beauty moments which one can’t recall in writing very easily.
As we got higher the clouds seemed to become closer until we eventually reached Ghoom at 8000 ft. where we were completely enshrouded in mist and clouds. From there we descended another thousand feet and progressed ten kilometres before finally reaching Darjeeling at 2-00 p.m.
The weather was still warm although nothing compared with the heat in parts of India at the moment. Apparently it also gets quite cold here at night so I’ll have to wrap up warm tonight. Mike and Chris headed off to a Tibetan monastery nearby where they had arranged to stay, with a couple of porters carrying their luggage up the very steep hill.
Darjeeling has a lot of English influence (as has a lot of India) but especially this area because it was set aside as a hill station by the British during their empirical days. The whole town is very picturesque built as it is into the top area of an entire hillside. Because of this though my leg muscles will be strengthened again over the next few days.
A Tibetan guy tried to take me to his ‘uncle’s’ place where I was shown a room for R15 but it didn’t appeal to me. He then took me higher and higher which was exhausting and also the prices seemed to get more expensive.
Eventually someone suggested the Youth Hostel at the top of the hill which was where he led me next. I gave him a small tip (R4) and thanked him very much for his help. I got a bed in a dormitory which suited me fine, not quite as comfortable as the others but situated right next to a writing table and mirror, my compensation for not having a locker under my bed and a super-soft mattress.
I prefer to be able to write in comfort and my bed isn’t so bad now it’s made up; a basic camp bed with a sheet on top of two thin mattresses, my own sheet sleeping bag and three blankets which they provided free of charge (it must get cold).
The hostel is perched right on top of the hill so you can see both ways into two different valleys and also towards the Himalayas which were shrouded in clouds today. The views are spectacular to say the least. There are also hot & cold showers, toilets, and a recreation room downstairs. The cost is only R6 a night which is very reasonable indeed.
I must try and get Kim & Geoff to come here although I think the dorms are segregated and it is also a good fifteen minutes’ walk uphill which might put them off, although I think it’s the best place around.
After writing some of my diary I went out at 5-00 p.m. to have a look around and buy a few necessities for the rest of my trip. I had a great time window-shopping for a long time winding up and down, along and through various alleys, stairways and streets with many tourist-orientated shops and a super market down the bottom end which I found really interesting.
I seemed to be the only westerner there amongst throngs of Indians taking their holidays away from the heat, the streets were certainly packed with them tonight. Many of the locals of Darjeeling though are not Indian and seemed very pleasant and well mannered. There were many Tibetans, Nepalese and people from Bhutan, the neighbouring state, which China won’t recognises as a state of India.
After some searching round I eventually found a large envelope to send the next section of the diary off to Jan, without having to bend the paper which will be bulky enough. I also went to the Tourist Info office where I got a map and some information on the town.
By now it was 8-00 p.m. and I was getting hungry so I walked back down into town (I had been up at the other end if you understand my meaning). I hoped that I might see Mike & Chris but instead saw three girls in a restaurant who I’d met trekking in Ghandrung which was a nice surprise.
I sat down with them and had a couple of samosa and two cups of tea. We sat talking for ages and out came the Thai story again which really captured their interest. The restaurant closed quite early (as everything in Darjeeling seems to) and we went next door where we drank some lemon before going our separate ways.
Electricity had been out most of the evening but returned for my walk home which was very useful. It took me twenty minutes to walk back, I’d forgotten everything was so steep and was pretty knackered by the time I got back. A few days and the walk will be nothing.
After writing my diary for a while and preparing it for posting I went to bed at 10-30 p.m.
Sunday June 7th
After waking up once at 3-30 a.m., taking my clothes off, putting the light out and getting into bed I went back to sleep again.
Woke again at 8-30 a.m. and after a great effort not to go back to sleep again I got up and started preparing a few things for packing.
At 9-30 a.m. we all went out and had some breakfast at Rum Doodle (my last good breakfast for a while). We all had the same, a couple of coffees, eggs on toast and granola, fruit and curd. We sat around talking for a while and arranged a few things for today and also for meeting in Darjeeling.
Checked with the travel agency who had my ticket ready although the bus leaves earlier than we had thought and I have to be there at 5-00 p.m. For some reason the guy insisted in giving me R18 back although I couldn’t understand why. He also explained why the night bus is more expensive, there are two drivers and they also pay two security guards (with guns) to protect us.
Geoff & Kim will be going out most of the day to a village where they hope to locate a friend of Geoff’s although it could be difficult finding him. He is an American guy who has lived for about six years as a monk there. If they do find him then I probably won’t see them again until Darjeeling.
I went back to my room to finish my packing before midday check-out time. Geoff & Kim left the key to their room with me so that I could use it this afternoon. If I have to leave before they get back then I’ll leave the key with reception.
Finished my packing. Everything still fits easily into my bag although I’m still carrying too much in the way of clothes and next time I travel will carry even less. At midday I moved my bag to the other’s room and paid my bill (R87-50, 5xR15 a night +10% tax and R5 for the day’s hire of a bike).
Then I hired another bike for an hour and cycled into town, firstly to the Post Office for any last mail. There was no news from Rita about her plans so I can only hope that she lets me know what’s happening by writing or sending a telegram to Darjeeling.
There was one letter though from Jan and Debby (back in Frankfurt with Philippe) which came as an unexpected surprise. It was posted on the 3/6 and arrived here after only four days which was incredibly fast. If Rita had even bothered trying to write here then the letter should have arrived by now.
After that I went to a couple of banks willing to change Nep. into Indian rupees and bought IR200 which cost me NR291, roughly the same rate of 1.45 to 1 that I’d got five weeks ago changing money the other way, so that seemed very reasonable.
I then took the bike back to Thamal, returned it and paid my R2 before going to a nearby restaurant where I could sit in peace and read Jan & Deb’s letter which was really interesting and cheered me up. There was one section which I haven’t read yet as there are specific instructions to read it whilst stoned.
About ten minutes after finishing this section of the diary I should be in a position to do just that. I’ve got some gear left over but won’t be taking any across the border, so I’ll have to smoke a couple of the joints I rolled yesterday before leaving (may even take one with me to be smoked or dumped before the border).
The rest I’ll leave for Kim & Geoff although they still have a lot to get through before Wednesday. It’s not the sort of problem I’m used to having, being in possession of excess stuff, but it has been so cheap here that it doesn’t matter.
I’m now lying on Kim’s bed catching up on the day’s news for the avid readers of this diary. It’s nice to hear that Deb is interested in it too. Jan, Deb and anyone else reading this diary will probably know more about me than I do myself by the end of this trip (hopefully I don’t get too self-indulgent though).
After a really strong joint I read the other section of Jan & Deb’s letter which then made more sense than it otherwise would have done. It was great to hear from Deb again although I’m sorry their Jamaica thing didn’t work out properly, it will be great to see her and Philippe again on my return to Frankfurt.
It’s great to keep getting news from Jan. She writes cheerful letters and is keeping me in touch with what’s happening in sunny Frankfurt. I know it’s not a pleasant thing to say, but at the moment it’s true, that I look forward much more to Jan’s letters than Rita’s.
Must get the next section of my diary sent off in the next day or two as it is getting quite weighty again (due to good quality Nepali paper).
Geoff & Kim hadn’t returned by 4-00 p.m. so I left the key at reception and went out for something to eat at a nearby restaurant. I had prawn & vegetable spring rolls, a banana lassi and a hot lemon. Sat around for a while before getting a rickshaw to the bus office which was a fair way away (close to the immigration office).
Had bargained for a price of R7 for the trip but the guy had no change so I made his day by giving the rest as a tip. I then sat around in the waiting room, having reported to the office as requested at 5-00 p.m.
At 5-15 p.m. Kim & Geoff came along to say their temporary goodbyes and also book their tickets for Wednesday night so that they will be in Darjeeling on Thursday afternoon.
At 5-30 p.m. things started to happen. I had my bag tagged and put on the roof although I kept my cardigan and documents with me as protection against any cold at night and against thieves. I found my seat no. 25 which was near the back of the bus and therefore very bumpy. I said goodbye to Kim & Geoff and the bus left shortly afterwards at nearly 6-00 p.m.
The road out of Kathmandu was as always very rough as it is being surfaced (without any foreign aid) by the Nepalese and could take years to complete.
We were rewarded on the other side as we descended by the most beautiful sunset. The whole sky was aglow and the blazing red sun caused fantastic patterns around the clouds while the mountains seemed pitch black against the brilliance of the sky.
Shortly after sunset I took a valium to relax me as the whole journey looked like being along very rough roads at night there is not much to see. However, twenty minutes later as I was dozing we almost had a very nasty accident.
There were a Danish couple (yes, more of them) sitting in front of me who explained to me what had happened. The whole road to the border town of Kakarvita was very narrow and our coach had tried overtaking a truck which hadn’t moved over enough to let us pass.
As a consequence our bus ploughed into the grass verge on the right-hand side of the road. We all got out of the bus as numerous Indians & Nepalese helped by a tow-rope and a truck managed to get the coach back onto the road.
I had a look at the skid marks on the road and the impressions made by the wheels in the grass. Another yard at the front or as little as six inches further to the side and the bus would have ended up in a river after going down a steep embankment of thirty or forty feet. A lucky escape.
It seemed a fairly normal occurrence though and we were soon on our way again, with the driver still driving along the same way as before, which could be pretty reckless & dangerous, although they seem to know what they are doing, most of the time.
We made a stop at 9-00 p.m. for a drink and I also had a really nice joint with Michael and Christine (the English versions of their Danish names) before returning to the bus.
The coach itself was quite nice with only thirty seats which were comfortable although they did not recline. There was also music over a stereo system (although not particular inspiring) and we were given a small meal of Nepali ‘sweets’ which were delicious.
The roads were really bumpy and jolted me around a lot so I decided I would prefer to sleep and took another tab which knocked me out pretty quickly. I woke up once more as we made another stop at 12-30 a.m. but after a cold drink there I returned to the bus and went back to sleep again.
Saturday June 6th
Didn’t wake up until 10-30 a.m. after a really good sleep and some extremely pleasant & relaxing dreams.
Got up and had a cold shower to wake me up and then checked that Kim & Geoff were still in their room. Geoff had stayed awake until quite late as well also playing patience. We arranged to go out for breakfast a little later and I retired to my room for a while catching up on all the happenings for my diary.
Sometimes I get a little fed-up writing it all the time but I also appreciate the routine and being able to try to express my frustrations so that maybe I can understand myself a little better. It also gives Jan an insight into another traveller’s world which she seems to enjoy and if it gives pleasure to at least one person then it’s all worth the effort.
We eventually got around to going for breakfast at 12-30 p.m. We went to Govindas which was fairly empty, so Geoff was able to have one of his tapes played. We dug into fried eggs on toast, coffee and curd plus some opium for Geoff & me to set off the day in style.
We sat there for a long time before returning to the hotel where Kim & Geoff stayed while I went out to exchange a book and have my jeans and Thai trousers repaired. The jeans had been ripped when a bike’s mudguard had caught them as I was crossing a road the other day in Kathmandu.
The rip was quite large and involved undoing a seam as well so I was charged R10, although the hole in the crutch of the others cost me nothing. I also got a new book called ‘Jupiter’s Travels’ which is about a guy’s travels on a motor bike for four years, sounds really interesting.
Much of the afternoon was spent in Kim & Geoff’s room talking and idling the time away. The day certainly went very quickly and I didn’t get the packing done I intended to. Tomorrow will be hectic compared with today’s restful time.
At 5-00 p.m. the three of us went up onto the roof and we stood watching the most beautiful sunset as we got out of it on a number (of which I rolled a few this afternoon with my last pollen). It was really strong and after a while it made me feel the effects of the opium I‘d had earlier with Geoff.
It gave me a hell of a rush and nausea swept over me a couple of times leaving me feeling a bit sick, which can be a side effect of the opium. I wasn’t physically sick but lay on my bed for an hour getting myself together again.
Later on I joined the others on the roof for some mango (which I hadn’t tried before) by moonlight (well a quarter of it). We were intending to go out to a restaurant but the other two fell asleep so we didn’t make it.
I played patience for an hour or so before going to my room where I smoked another joint which, with the opium from earlier, really wiped me out. I’m trying to write this in that condition and the pen(s) refuse to work properly for me so I’ll finish the day quickly and wake up early tomorrow to pack.
It’s now 11-00 p.m. and I’m going to lie down and maybe even fall asleep.
Friday June 5th
Had a good night’s sleep although I slept too long and woke up at 8-30 a.m. with a headache from the cold, which still seems to be hanging on, although my chest is clearing a little.
Have to get a few things done today but not until later on. Will collect my Darjeeling permit about 12-30 p.m. and check the post. I really hope there is something there, if not my last chance is Sunday.
Geoff isn’t feeling too well this morning and slept quite late. Kim had already gone to the Post Office so we didn’t manage to get it together for breakfast. I hired a bike from the hotel and went to the Post Office as well to check for mail but as expected there was none.
Went for breakfast at the Paradise restaurant where I had muesli, fruit curd & a banana lassi. After that I cycled out to the reading room of the British Consulate where I sat for an hour or so catching up with some more news although there wasn’t much more of great interest.
The last paper was from Wed 27th and I discovered that the ‘Ripper’ has been sentenced to life imprisonment, Scotland beat England 1-0 at Wembley and Liverpool fans were running riot in Paris ahead of the European Cup Final between Liverpool and Real Madrid.
At 12-30 p.m. I went out to the Indian Embassy and after a short wait got my passport back with a special permit for Darjeeling for 7 days, although that is extendable.
After that I went to a travel agency in Thamel and booked my ticket for Sunday evening (R132). I must go back on Sunday morning to collect the ticket and find out details of where the bus leaves from.
Returned to the hotel at 1-00 p.m. but Kim & Geoff had gone out somewhere. Felt a bit disappointed as I’m beginning to hate my own company at the moment and it’s nice to have them around to talk to. I really wish Jan was here so that we could talk things over.
I’ve had a great time in Nepal but all this uncertainty about when and if Rita will arrive, and also my longer term plans are making me very unsettled again.
So I’m feeling a bit lonely and in need of some comfort at present, all a bit disturbing, but the future must hold something for me and as always things will work themselves out. Sometimes I just tend to be too pessimistic, must keep looking at the brighter side of things. Very difficult though.
I went up to the terrace on the roof for a while to soak up a little sunshine. It was very hot and a beautiful day. Hopefully it will be the same in Darjeeling and there won’t be too much rain. I went downstairs and took five dexys, as they are meant to be an anti-depressant. They did help later on.
Geoff & Kim returned at 1-30 p.m. and I joined them downstairs. We talked quite a bit which was what I needed and they cheered me up a lot. They think that they will probably be following me the middle of next week as their visas run out on the 10th and have almost definitely decided against flying to Delhi because of the expense.
If they come they’ll probably arrive on Thursday evening and Kim has promised to have another look for any mail that may arrive and bring it with her when they leave on Wednesday. That was great news. Kim also told me I can buy some Indian rupees at the bank nearby as I was worried about arriving early in the morning and having no cash.
I am looking forward to the trip as Darjeeling is meant to be very beautiful and the narrow gauge railway a real experience. It ascends to 6000 ft. in Ghoom before going downhill to Darjeeling at 5000 ft. It will still be quite hot but nothing compared with the heat of most of India at the moment and although there is some rain it is not monsoon type, like many places.
At 3-00 p.m. Geoff borrowed my hired bike to check for mail at American Express and Kim headed off to get some bread, tomatoes and peanut butter for our evening meal. Later on they may walk over to the Monkey Temple and invited me along so I’ll probably go along and see the place in a different light, at sunset.
I sometimes worry about butting into Kim & Geoff‘s privacy but they don’t seem to mind and I enjoy their company, although I can understand how Brom felt the ‘odd-one-out’ when they all travelled together. Kim & Brom have known each other since the age of 8 and Geoff the ‘newcomer’ has only known the others for six years since the start of his relationship with Kim.
They’re all really nice though and have made me realise how different people can be from the ‘stereotyped’ nationality image that we all tend to cotton on to. I really will have to get Australia sometime, even though I’ve been thwarted this trip.
Kim & Geoff came back at and we had a joint, although I still find it difficult to get off properly with this cough making it hard to smoke very much. As hard it will be I’ll probably give most of my gear away as I don’t want to carry it into India.
At 5-00 p.m. we headed off through the winding streets and slowly made our way over to the Monkey Temple which was a good walk away. We approached it from the front rather than the side as I had the last time visited. Instead of going up all the front steps to the temple we took a small grass track up along the hillside.
This was fascinating as we saw a lot of monkeys (I’m pretty certain they’re baboons). We watched, fascinated by their antics, for a long time as they bounded through trees or simply sat on or ran along the ground. When sitting they looked almost human and are very intelligent. They are also used to humans feeding them and are very tame.
We then walked the rest of the way up to the temple where the Buddhist monks were performing their end of day rituals as the sun slowly disappeared. We sat looking out over the valley and at the changing colours of the clouds which were especially beautiful, varying from white, through pink, red, grey and silver.
After a long time sitting watching the sunset, we walked down the massive flight of steps which lead up to the temple and headed back through the many streets to Thamel.
About 7-00 p.m. we went to a restaurant called Govinas where all three of us had a cheese & mushroom omelette. Geoff & I also had a bottle of beer each which was really good (although it affected a touchy nerve in one of my capped teeth because it was so cold, hopefully that won’t recur too often again).
After the meal we went back to Geoff & Kim’s room where I gave them a couple of addresses to write to, so that they can contact me if they come to Europe.
Geoff & I also had some opium each which was really good later on. We had a couple of smokes as Geoff practiced on his guitar, Kim played patience while I did some artwork (doodling) on the back of a postcard.
Went to my room at 11-00 p.m. but didn’t feel like sleeping so I sat around for ages on my bed playing patience (a really infuriating game Kim taught me). The Peace Corp guys next door didn’t sleep either and had their cassette player going which was really good.
I eventually went to sleep at 4-00 a.m. and drifted off very pleasantly into the land of nod.
Thursday June 4th
Had a beautiful night’s sleep with some really pleasant dreams although I wasn’t able to remember any on waking up.
Didn’t wake up until 9-30m a.m. by which time the others had already had breakfast. They had tried waking me earlier on but I’d been flat out.
I got washed and dressed before collecting my passport, photos and walking out to the Indian embassy again. The sun was beating down and it was a sweltering day. God knows what it will be like in parts of India, almost unbearable I should think.
At least Brom is lucky flying into Delhi in the evening, she goes early tonight. It took me a good twenty minutes to get to the embassy where I filled out a very detailed form and handed over my passport and photos. I must collect my passport & permit tomorrow between 12-30 p.m.–2.00 p.m.
The permit for Darjeeling only lasts for a week but is apparently easy to extend and as far as I can tell so far doesn’t cost anything. If that’s true it will be very surprising. Provided I get my permit alright I will probably get a bus from here on Sunday evening (giving me a last chance to check the post) and hopefully be able to get to Darjeeling on Monday evening.
I walked back to the hotel and on the way bought myself a Kathmandu T-Shirt (R40). Later on I also went to get a sweatshirt for home and another pair of cotton baggy trousers which are really comfortable in this weather, although I’m not sure I’ll wear them in Germany.
My money situation is not too bad at the moment. I have NR650 which will cover tickets, clothes, accommodation, and maybe even leave me a little to change into Indian Rupees. Apart from that I now have T/Chqs to the value of DM500 and US$150 which hopefully will last me until at least mid-July.
Back at the hotel Brom was packing her things and later came down to my room as she had to vacate hers by midday. She is still a little apprehensive about setting off on her own but the decision has been made and she is sticking by it. It is even possible that we’ll eventually meet up again in Kashmir although that’s a long shot.
We all went out for a meal at 3-00 p.m. at the Khantapur where we made pigs of ourselves for a while. I had muesli & curd (late breakfast), a lemon drink, cheese on toast and a brownie. Then we returned to the hotel.
Brom did her final packing and we sat around smoking a joint and talking about things to pass the time. She had to be at the airline office at 5-15 p.m. to get a bus. Her plane leaves at 7-15 p.m. So at 4-30 p.m. we went for a last drink before putting her into a rickshaw, saying our goodbyes and wishing her all the best.
For me it was quite a sad goodbye as we’d become close over the last couple of weeks. For the other two it was also very difficult because they’ve been friends for so many years although of course they’ll meet again.
I lay on my bed reading, dozing and listening to some classical music until 7-30 p.m. Should explain that there are four American guys just being disbanded from the Peace Corps here and they are spending a last few days sorting things out before flying out early next week.
They have a cassette player and depending on who is in the room I hear varying types of music, some of which is really good. I then went down and joined Kim & Geoff and we had a lazy evening sitting around in their room.
Kim popped out to get some food to which I contributed and we were treated firstly to some muesli & curd, cucumber slices topped with peanut butter (there was no more bread) and some biscuits for afters. It was a very nice snack and as we had eaten so much this afternoon meant that we were all pretty full up.
We lay around chatting. Geoff wrote a long letter to his family and Kim & I played a really annoying game of patience.
I went back to my room and to sleep at 10-15 p.m.
Wednesday June 3rd
Got up at 8-30 a.m. after a really good night’s sleep although later on I wished I’d stayed in bed.
All four of us went for breakfast at a really flash place called ‘Rum Doodle’ where I had a really nice granola with fruit and we shared a large pot of coffee.
At 10-00 a.m. I went off with the intention of getting a permit for Darjeeling from the Indian Embassy. The others were going off for the day to Bhaktapur.
I found my way to the embassy, signed my name in a book, and entered the grandiose gardens of the place which reflected a distinct British taste. Located the visa & permit section but was not able to make the application as you needed 3 photos and I only had one, which I had thought would be sufficient.
Went back to Thamel and hired a bike (R5 for the day) as I was going to be doing a fair bit of moving around town. I first went and had four photographs taken which was expensive at R35 although they were ready almost straight away.
I had intended to go back then for my permit but suddenly remembered that I would need my passport to change money at the bank. So then I cycled into town in beautiful sunshine and amidst swarming streets of people and traffic.
Stopped at the Post Office to check if by chance a letter had arrived. There was one, but unexpected, a letter from Jan which had been posted on the 18th May taking 16 days to get here. It was a really nice letter and it was great to hear from her again.
The bank seemed in utter chaos but after shuffling around departments I eventually found the right place. Once I was there things went fairly smoothly, although I hadn’t realised the DM was so weak. For the DM500 T/Chq I settled for 3 x $50 T/Chqs and R680 which is probably too much for my remaining four days, but maybe I’ll buy some clothes.
I also enquired later on about bus prices to the border near Darjeeling and was quoted R92 for the day bus & R132 for the night bus. The latter is probably better because I arrive in the morning and can get up to Darjeeling the same day.
By now it was nearly 1-00 p.m. and hot. It was too late to go back to the Indian embassy so I went to the hotel and got down to the task of writing a letter & card to Rita now that I’ve decided to go to Darjeeling. It was very difficult but I think my approach wasn’t too hard and should spur her into action.
I’ve asked her to send a telegram to me in Darjeeling and hopefully I’ll have enough time to get across to Bombay to meet her when that comes. I also suggested that rather than go to the south of India which will be hot and involves a lot of travelling, if she comes we could go to Kashmir instead.
I managed to get the letter & card (back-up) finished by 2-30 p.m. so I cycled to the Post Office again and got them posted ‘express’ although that seems to mean just putting on another 50 paise stamp to the Nepalese.
After some more cycling around Thamel, I went back to my room again where I had a shower and tried to cheer myself up again. Had a joint which helped a little and then sat at my desk writing for a while.
The others came back at 4-30 p.m. and we sat around in Geoff & Kim’s room chatting & smoking for quite a time. I also dropped some opium as my cold has moved to my chest and smoking aggravates it and causes horrible coughing fits.
Brom, Kim & I went up to the veranda at the top of our building for a while which gives a beautiful view of the valley.
We all went out at 6-00 p.m. originally with the intention of just going out for some cake but ended up having a bumper meal at a really nice place called the Khantapur. The service in the restaurant was very good and the food tasty.
I had a really filling meal consisting of curd, tea, hamburger steak, chips & veg, a chocolate brownie and banana lassi all for the princely sum of R29-50.
We had a good laugh there before returning to Kim & Geoff’s room at 7-30 p.m. Geoff played his guitar and the rest of us sat around listening and talking. I felt quite relaxed and have been really happy with Brom, Kim & Geoff, we’ve had a good time together.
I dropped a little more opium to heighten the effect later on and then at 9-00 p.m. we went to a nearby café where we stayed for a while.
Went back to the hotel again and sat around chatting for a while before retiring at 11-30 p.m.
I was by now really relaxed and floated off to sleep thinking pleasant thoughts in contrast to the worrying I’ve been doing lately. Life will always have its problems, why can’t I take things a little easier mentally sometimes?
Tuesday June 2nd
I was awoken by the others at 7-00 a.m. after a very good night’s sleep although I felt pretty groggy.
The others were already packing so after a few minutes extra sleep I had a wash and threw everything into my bag, it still closed quite easily. We all piled into a taxi which took us to Tamal and the Trekkers Lodge where we disembarked and took our bags to the rooms the others had reserved yesterday.
Kim & Geoff had a double on the first floor, I had a single on the second and Brom a single on the third. My room is really nice and excellent value. It has carpeting (no more throwing fags on the floor), a bedside table, a writing table at which I am sitting now and a really comfortable bed (with a mattress for a change and clean linen).
I lay on my bed and almost immediately fell to sleep and didn’t wake up until 10-00 a.m. The others came in to call me for breakfast at 9-00 a.m. but I was so fast asleep they left me. Kim has also told me a couple of times that when I sleep my eyes are half-open, I never knew that before.
Woke up feeling really strange with an almost unreasonable anger and frustration inside me which persisted for a couple of hours and made me feel really down. I’m just glad it didn’t last too long as I was feeling really miserable and wanted to chuck everything in.
I also felt as though I could physically swing out at something or someone, because I was really frustrated. I haven’t been like that, such strong feelings anyway, for a long time, difficult to understand and a little weird.
As I walked firstly to the immigration office (my visa is now until the 8th) and then to the Post Office. It was a good half-an-hour’s walk, a good deal more than from the old hotel, but exhilarating and it worked out some of the anger.
There were no letters, however, so my gloom returned and I headed back up to Tamil to get some breakfast. I also had a good look around the various backstreets crowded with shops, shit, stalls, people, cows and also many different temples.
It rained very heavily last night so there were many puddles to avoid and muddy streets to walk along. I eventually chose a café where I had muesli & curd, coffee and a lemon. I also sat talking to the older Danish couple who I’ve met several times in Pokhara and on the trek.
They looked the same loving, gentle couple as normal and it helped cheer me up a little both seeing them and having a chance to talk to them properly. I sometimes wish the world was full of genuine people but I suppose that would be boring and is an amazingly naïve concept anyway.
Anyway, they will be hanging around Kathmandu for two weeks before going to Darjeeling and then returning to Denmark early in July. Talking with them made me think again of what I will be doing (apart from waiting for that damned letter).
On returning to the hotel I met Brom and we went up to her room where we smoked a couple of joints, although the effects are definitely lessening. We also talked for a long time and tried to sort some of each other’s problems out. We think very much alike so were able to help each other quite a lot I think.
Brom was having second thoughts about going to Delhi & Kashmir and travelling alone but eventually convinced herself (I played Devil’s Advocate) that her decision had been correct, as she is really keen on doing a ten-day meditation course in Kashmir before returning to her boyfriend in Australia.
Her talking of Kashmir made me think that might be a better place to take Rita if and when she comes. Other possibilities would be a couple of hill stations in southern India which will be cooler but crowded with holidaying Indians. I still like the idea of the beaches of southern India or Sri Lanka but Rita would have to decide whether the heat was not too much for her.
God, this flash invitation of Rita to India is causing me more problems than I could have envisaged. I keep asking myself now, why did I do it and can only think that I was very lonely and needed her at the time (my first couple of days in India after Thailand).
We also talked about my situation and with Brom’s help I tried to formulate a few ideas of what I can do to avoid hanging around Kathmandu for news. I have already decided against a telegram as they cost R300-400 and I am going to have to be very careful in the next few weeks.
What I’ll do is write an aerogramme & a postcard (in case one gets lost), sending them express (4-5 days hopefully) and tell Rita to telegram me at my next destination (which I must decide before sending, obviously).
After much discussion I plumped for Darjeeling, although nothing is definite until I’ve posted the letter & card or just happen to receive a letter (I’ll give her one more chance tomorrow before posting them).
At 6-00 p.m. I went back to my room and wrote my diary (which can be very time-consuming sometimes) before attempting to get a letter written to Rita, which was very difficult and I didn’t get very far.
I can’t blame everything on her lack of speed just in case something has happened and the important letter has been lost. I’m so soft not wanting to hurt her and yet at the moment I couldn’t really give a shit if I see her again.
Let’s hope that if our holiday materialises we can somehow sort something out. Although of course, even she knows that anything or rather the only thing that could solve our differences would be a permanent separation, as there is no way Rita will accept an easy-going friendship of the sorts we had last summer.
I didn’t manage to get much of the letter written and as I was getting pretty pissed-off, I went and saw the others to cheer myself up. Geoff & Kim were wiped out after taking some pretty good opium this afternoon, although Kim was with it enough to come with Brom & I for a meal.
We went to a restaurant nearby where we all had a mushroom & cheese pizza which was very tasty and really filling. We sat chatting for a while about what we would be doing in the next couple of months. Not one of us seemed very certain about what the future held in terms of relationships, where we would live or even where we might find some sort of lasting happiness.
We sat around in Brom’s room for an hour or so chatting and smoking before going to our separate rooms. I lay in bed for a while reading about Kashmir, which sounds really attractive. It could be a cooler alternative to the heat of southern India & Sri Lanka or the monsoons in the other parts.
Went to sleep at 10-30 p.m.
Monday June 1st
This is unbelievable, the start of yet another month. The days and weeks in Nepal have simply flashed by.
It seems incredible that it is four months now since I had a steady job, but unfortunately I must think about doing some more of the unpleasant stuff (work) again within the next two to three months. Maybe I should be a drop-out and join a Buddhist sect where they smoke chillums all day (only joking honestly).
I’ll just have to worry about the problem of working when it arises. At least I will have had an experience, a full and colourful few months away from the rat-race of working for money.
Anyway, onto events of the day. I woke up once at 3-30 p.m. in the middle of an extremely violent sneezing attack which lasted a good five minutes. Geoff whispered across to make sure that I was awake and aware of what was happening.
I went outside on the balcony for a while to breath in the beautiful early morning air and try to steady my streaming nose. I took a tab of valium and was soon fast asleep again (snoring loudly according to Geoff). I woke again at 8-00 a.m. still with very heavy snuffles and some more sneezing, although Brom’s cold is a lot better.
At 9-00 a.m. I went off to a chemists and actually bought a non-prescription drug called Contac cc (made in India) to help clear my head. I had one, which after a while cleared up the stuffiness a lot but still left me feeling weak and listless.
I met the others in the coffee shop and had a breakfast of fried eggs on toast & a coffee. Also took some medication, I’ll soon be rattling like a pill box; my Malaria tablet which I’ve remembered every Monday, a Contac for the cold and a couple of Dexys to try and relieve some of the depression setting in on me.
We also talked a lot while smoking a couple of joints over coffee. Brom has already made her move and decided at least what she wants to do in the short-term. She booked a plane ticket ($95) to Delhi for Thursday evening and after a few days there she will head to Kashmir, which is meant to be beautiful and really nice in the summer.
Geoff & Kim can stay here another ten days, although they may move a little before their visa deadline. Kim went up to the immigration office to sort something out but for some reason it has been shut for the day. I’ll have to collect my passport tomorrow and must make a decision about what to do very, very soon.
The other three went to Thamel and had a look round for another guest-house so we can all have a change of surroundings for a couple of days. If they find somewhere we will move tomorrow morning. I left the others at the restaurant and went off to the Post Office, really hoping to find a letter but was only to be disappointed again.
Then returned to the room and lay on my bed feeling pretty weak, listless and annoyed that I’m having to wait for news from someone else (even if it is Rita) and that is preventing me from carrying out what I want to do.
The others came back later on in the afternoon and we smoked a couple of good joints and talked for a while, although everyone was very subdued. I still wasn’t feeling too hot and when Danny came round to start guitar practice I managed to escape the noise by going to sleep.
I slept solidly for a couple of hours and felt quite a bit better, although my nose was still stuffed up. We all just lay around talking. The others have found another place to move to tomorrow morning in Thamel, to the north-west of Kathmandu, where we’ll have a change of scenery and some better rooms.
Our room has become a little crowded with all of us together so that will probably be better for Kim & Geoff to have some time on their own together. There is also a little tension now that Brom will be going off on her own. Geoff was very quiet and seemed to be consoling himself strumming his guitar.
At 7-30 p.m. Kim, Brom & I went out to eat as Geoff was planning to go to an Indian place later on (to think on his own maybe). It had been raining a lot in the afternoon so there were massive puddles everywhere as we walked into town.
Kim seemed to perk up without Geoff around and was very talkative so that the three of us had an enjoyable evening. We went first to the Dragon restaurant where they had some very good Chinese food. I had a creamed corn soup, sweet & sour vegetable and a lassi.
We sat around having a good laugh and smoked a couple of joints while talking about various things. Later on we moved on to the Cosmopolitan restaurant which is on the first floor of a building with a ‘comfy room’ and surprisingly empty. We made ourselves comfortable in the cushions.
The girls had some pie although I limited myself to a large coffee and a couple more joints. All three of us were sniffing because of colds so we made quite a chorus. Had a very nice talk with both of them and really appreciated their company during the evening.
When I move on I’ll really miss all three of them, they’ve been great company and I seem to get on with all of them. It’s not often you meet really genuine people with whom you can communicate whilst travelling, although this time I’ve been really lucky. Firstly Graham, Sharon & Aja, then later Willy, Scott, Marie & John and now Geoff, Kim & Brom. Oops, I almost missed my other two soul-mates, Stan & Andy, we also built up a hell of a friendship.
We returned to our room at 10-30 p.m. and after another joint went to bed. The others want to make an early move tomorrow (because the immigration people may be here at 9-00 a.m.).
Still had the sniffles and a sinus headache so I took another Contac and some valium to knock me out.
Sunday May 31st
It is the last day of another month and my first month in Nepal. I must renew my visa for another week today.
Was awoken by the others from a very deep sleep, feeling refreshed although still a little dopey. Had a wash and after doing some more writing I went with Geoff, Brom & Kim to the town in search of breakfast.
We went to the Himalayan coffee shop where I breakfasted on fried eggs on buttered toast and a coffee. I left the others as I had a few things to get done and I wanted to get them done quickly.
To start with I headed off to the bank where I changed my precious R1000 note into 100’s before walking across to the immigration office which was twenty minutes away. Once there I filled out an extension form, putting my reason for staying was that I had to ‘wait for an important letter’.
That’s not strictly true, I mean I’m not exactly going to have a miserable time hanging around Kathmandu a few extra days. It just puts a big strain on the possibility of having to miss the Darjeeling side-trip.
Forgot to mention that just before we went to breakfast our hotel was visited by immigration officials who checked all our visas. Mine was alright as it runs out today but Geoff & Kim had a few problems as they have a visa issued to go trekking and are at the moment obviously in Kathmandu.
The guys were quite pleasant and said that they should go to the immigration office and pay the difference of R50 each. The officials promised to come back early on Tuesday morning to make sure everything had been done or that they had in fact gone trekking. Geoff & Kim are contemplating going but are not certain yet.
Anyway, I handed over the form, a photo, my passport and my fee of R101 (R100 for the visa and R1 stamp duty). I will have to return tomorrow and collect my passport which, if I receive any news telling me that I still have two or three week’s freedom, I’ll take to the Indian Embassy to get a special permit for Darjeeling.
After immigration I walked back towards the centre of town and the post office. There were already letters in the ‘F’ section that had arrived today but after another thorough search I couldn’t find anything. It gets like a daily ritual going there.
From there, I went round a couple of chemists (often called ‘Drug Shops’ in English on the signboards) asking if they had any Captagon but was informed that although it was manufactured in India it has never been imported to Nepal. In the end I bought another bottle of Dexedrine as I seem to be having good fun on them at the moment.
Lastly I went to the jewellers where they had my stones already set and they looked really good. I tried to bargain the guy down on the price but he only dropped R20 to R530.
He was interested in some of the other gems but the prices he offered were much too low and obviously on a wholesale level so I decided to keep them and if I can sell some of the set stones along the way then I’ll get the rest set in Sri Lanka which is also reputed to be cheap.
My investment of US$150 should reap at least a small profit in Europe (unless I get too soft-hearted and give them away as presents).
I went back to the room where Geoff was playing his guitar and the beds were covered in clothes as everybody tried sorting out their belongings. Kim & Brom are talking of moving out of this hotel to a lodge after this morning’s raid. Kim is also thinking of doing some more trekking although Geoff is keener to stay with his guitar.
Brom will probably be moving on in two or three days’ time towards India as her visa runs out on Wednesday. I’ve noticed a slight chilling of her attitude towards me in the last day or so, although it is probably all in my imagination.
She has certainly scotched any ideas she had of maybe moving onto Darjeeling but then again she must also make her decision on the basis of a letter that never seems to come.
Geoff, Kim & Brom went out at 2-00 p.m. to get various things done and I lay on my bed writing both my diary and Brom’s travelogue. Also dropped three more tabs to perk me up for the afternoon.
Kim & Brom returned at 4-30 p.m. and gave me the news about Brom’s letter, which had finally arrived. The guy cannot get out to meet her so at least she can plan now either on returning to Australia or carrying on her travels to Europe.
The weather today was beautiful and hot but shortly after Kim & Brom returned the rain started to come down in buckets. Geoff will get soaked as he’s out on a bike at the moment.
The other three got pretty knocked out by some opium they had taken and a few joints that we just happened to roll & smoke.
We all lay around reading and talking. Brom is quite down and very undecided about what to do while Kim & Geoff were also a little on edge so there was a lot of tension in the air.
At 8-30 a.m. I decided my stomach needed filling but I was the only one with any energy to make a move. I arranged a couple of places where we could meet up later in the evening.
First I went to the Paradise restaurant which was quite empty and I got served very promptly. I had cauliflower & cheese sauce + spaghetti (pretty tasteless but alright covered in tomato sauce) and a small pot of tea.
After the meal I went to the Himalayan café (where the music was much better) and sat in an almost deserted place eating my apple pie, drinking coffee and smoking a couple of joints listening to familiar music from the Police, Chicago and the Eagles (at which point I left).
My next & final port of call was the ‘Ol Stylist’ where there was again some good music and lots to smoke. I sat there drinking a coffee and was joined by the guy who works there who showed me some more pollen he had. We had a smoke of it and it certainly did the trick nicely. I bought a tola (10g) off him for R35, which was extremely reasonable.
Geoff & Brom came in at 10-00 p.m. after a short nap and dug into cakes & coffee. We sat around talking, smoking and thinking about the decisions that must be made in the next couple of days. There is a little tension between Geoff & Kim which I’d always put down to the fact that they had been together so long, but Geoff had told me another side of it earlier on.
Kim & Brom had started travelling together and after 3-4 months Geoff had gone to Sumatra to meet Kim. After two days Kim decided that she didn’t want to travel with Geoff after all and so when they left Indonesia they went their separate ways, which explains why only Geoff was in Chiang Mai when we were in prison.
Later on Kim changed her mind and they joined up again although a lot has gone out of their relationship. It has also left Brom as an outsider. It’s always difficult to travel in a mixed threesome. That is why she is now making her plans independently of the other two.
Went back to the room and sat up for a while talking and smoking. I was also sneezing a lot and a cold seemed to be creeping up on me. Brom has had one all day and is feeling pretty listless because of it.
We all went to bed at 11-30 p.m. although a couple of us were lying awake thinking for a while.
Saturday May 30th
I didn’t wake up this morning because I didn’t even go to sleep last night.
When I started getting engrossed in the writing of my diary at 2-15 a.m., I still felt wide awake and didn’t feel like knocking myself out with valium so I took two more tabs of speed and stayed wide awake for the rest of the night.
It was quite amusing watching actions of the other three while they slept. Geoff was the noisiest with sundry snores and grunts. No-one talked in their sleep although there were a few groans from open throats, and sighs from contented souls.
It was possible to hear Kathmandu coming to life, starting as early as 4-00 a.m. with the many menial and important jobs that must be performed every day to keep the clockwork ticking over. Animal and human noises increased as the dawn chorus heralded in another new day and the sun shone over the valley at 5-00 a.m.
This bought out many assorted colours dotting the landscape and the cumulus clouds. The whole day remained fine with a lot of sun and a few cumulus but no rain clouds, ‘touch wood’. The storms seem to have abated for a while, perhaps a last lull before the monsoon storms start flooding in.
Kim & Brom woke up quite early because of outside noises, although all three had slept soundly through numerous occasions when the dogs of the neighbourhood started barking together and trying to raise the roof. Normally of course I would have been sleeping through the various noises as well.
I got up (although I didn’t even really go to bed) and had a wash at 8-00 a.m.
Then after sitting around doing some more writing I headed with Kim & Brom (Geoff’s still in bed) to a restaurant in Durbar Square called the ‘Himalayan’ pie shop where we arrived at 9-30 a.m. We sat there for ages drinking coffee and smoking more joints. It’s a terrible life, isn’t it?
They also played one of Geoff’s three tapes with some new Robert Palmer I’d never heard before and also some Paul Simon which I recognised. We had a good time most of the morning and didn’t leave the restaurant until nearly midday.
Today is Saturday and most of the shops are closed so that there weren’t too many people about in town except for the normal traders and merchants trying to sell their tourist-trap souvenirs to tourists who are willing to be trapped.
Decided to have a day in the room catching up on writing my diary, for which I seemed to find so many interesting snippets early this morning while speeding and doing a lot of thinking about what the future might hold (a futile pursuit or not?).
The afternoon was generally pretty quiet. Brom is over in Bhaktapur with Danny for the afternoon while Geoff & Kim (in between a couple of small shopping trips) kept me company most of the time and we all had a pleasant time chatting about everything and nothing.
At 5-30 p.m. I took the last three tabs to liven me up for the evening as I had come down a lot from the speed that had sustained me last night and this morning. The bottle has gone really quickly but at R3-60 for 25 tabs I have no complaints at all and both Kim & Brom also had the chance to try some, which they enjoyed.
I then wrote some more of the travelogue for Brom which seems to be becoming quite a project for me. I’ve done nearly ten pages of it at the moment and must do a few more plans & diagrams before I’m finished. What with the amount I have written in my diary as well, I seem to be really enjoying my writing at the moment.
Maybe having friends around has given me a little more inspiration to do things instead of just vegetating. Geoff played his guitar which was really nice to listen to, while we smoked a couple of joints with pollen which were excellent.
We didn’t get around to going out until nearly 9-00 p.m. because we got so lethargic after the joints we’d smoked. Eventually went to an Indian restaurant, also quite posh. We seem to be going for the flashier places recently, although the prices are still very reasonable.
I had a chicken masala, chapattis & coke which cost R20-50. The meal was very tasty but was not really that filling as the portions were too small. We’ve been spoilt by the Nepalese dish of rice & dahl which you can eat as much as you like for R5.
We then wandered around the streets for a while although all three of us seemed pretty moody for some reason. We ended up going into the ‘Ol Stylist’ where the other two had pies and I had a coffee. We were also offered some really nice pollen of which we had a smoke.
After returning to the hotel at 11-00 p.m. we sat around the room smoking another couple of joints with Geoff’s pollen which were really good and got me nicely stoned again.
Brom came back at 11-30 p.m. and shortly afterwards everybody went to bed. I took a couple of valium which got me to sleep very quickly.
Friday May 29th
Woke up on Friday morning feeling pretty good at 8-00 a.m.
After a wash and getting dressed we went to a restaurant called ‘Bar J’ where Brom had arranged to meet Danny. We had a good breakfast of fried eggs on toast, buttered toast, milk coffee and muesli with fruit and curd.
I wandered around the streets of the city for a while, checked with Post Restante but no more letters had arrived so it looks as though I’ll be staying around Kathmandu for a little while longer.
As well as being a little annoyed at Rita’s lack of urgency (or am I being unfair again?), I am also disappointed that several letters sent to Malaysia have not appeared here yet, although Jan posted a bulky letter there some three weeks ago which has not yet been re-directed.
Perhaps I’m hoping too much in the way of postal efficiency in Asia but it is always disappointing when letters (especially an entertaining one from Jan and the others) go astray. Maybe it will be returned to Germany in a couple of months, ‘return to sender’.
I think a lot of Stan and just pray that he was either released on appeal, which could have happened around the middle of May if he was lucky or someone has paid the huge bribe required to bail him out and shoot him back to the States.
The memory is still vivid in my head, of the shock that we all felt at how harsh the judge was to Stan. It really took away any victory we’d achieved by making our release (mine & Andy’s) a very hollow affair.
I believe that he’ll find the strength to survive this ordeal. Hopefully our mental support from a distance does some good although if Maria (his German girlfriend) is still around she will be a much greater help and provide him with some outside encouragement.
Looking back at my paltry three weeks in captivity I can see that it has altered my outlook a lot. Although I’m not bitter about the whole thing I still feel twinges of anger at the injustice of the whole situation.
I went back at 11-30 a.m. and sat around chatting to Brom for a while. She is so open and honest it is extremely refreshing having her sharing the room. We are having a very enjoyable time swapping stories and telling each other a lot about our past lives and the way we’ve been moulded by different events along the way.
Before Brom went out we had a couple of joints and I dropped two more tabs of speed. Half-an-hour later she went off to meet Danny who is staying nearby at the Astra lodge to go cycling with him for a while.
I did a lot of writing during the afternoon on an interesting project for Brom, which I found a real change and even a challenge. I wrote six sides on Ibitha and various things to do which I’ll complete tomorrow with some sketch-maps of the island and Es Cana especially.
Compiling the information has given me a little more confidence in my writing and organisation of ideas, which I’ve not really put to good use for a long time. I am having more & more ideas about the possibility of writing a book.
My confidence booms on speed although I really need an honest, professional opinion as to whether my style of writing is sufficiently fluent and readable. I think that it could be criticised in a lot of ways but the bones of the story would at least form a basis for an interesting plot and storyline with any polishing up of style to be finished when the general kernel of the book has been formed.
About 3-30 p.m. Kim & Geoff were shown into the room after getting the message Brom had left at American Express. They had arrived from Pokhara at 2-30 p.m. on one of the local buses (R28 for a quicker ride than the Swiss Bus seems able to provide).
We sat around chatting for a while and found out what we’d all been doing in the three days we’d been apart. Nothing spectacular had happened although we swapped stories of what had been going on.
Brom came back at 5-30 p.m. by which time we’d already smoked a few joints, a couple Geoff made up with some really powerful pollen were extremely good and gave me a really nice buzz. I also wanted to take some speed as we were meant to be going to a discotheque at the extremely flash ‘Yak & Yeti’ hotel.
It would cost us R65 each, including food and access to the disco although drinks were extra. A whole crowd of us were meant to be going to celebrate Margie’s last night in Nepal for a while.
We left our room at 7-30 p.m. and after some searching we found the ‘Yak & Yeti’. We went inside to one of the smoothest places I’ve seen for a long time, very plush, well designed and a sharp contrast to the poverty enjoyed by the locals compared with the luxuries of the rich businessmen and fancy tourists who use the place.
Unfortunately the disco had been cancelled so that we were uncertain of what to do as Margie had not yet arrived. We looked at the menu for one of the restaurants and things within it were outrageously expensive by our lowly travelling style but nothing to the people with plenty of money staying here.
Geoff then led us through some of the different areas inside the hotel which were fascinating and also the beautiful garden which beckoned one out to the back of the hotel. After walking around for fifteen minutes we left the hotel, only to meet Margie and her friends heading down the road towards the hotel.
The bad news was broken to them and as it was getting late (8-45 p.m.) we split up into several groups to go eating. Geoff & Kim, Brom and I headed back towards Kathmandu before finding a really clean and interesting looking restaurant.
We were all hungry and the food arrived very quickly. I had a Wiener Schnitzel with hash browns & vegetables which tasted great and was filling as well. I also had half a bottle of beer as Geoff and I were gasping for a cold beer. It was nicely chilled and really went down well although of course it went too quickly.
After that we headed towards Freak Street for a last drink before the restaurants closed. It was already 10-30 p.m. We went to the ‘Ol Stylest’ pie shop where we were allowed to stay drinking coffee and smoking a couple of joints provided by a Nepalese guy which were loaded with pollen and were an excellent smoke.
I forgot to mention that I dropped another four tabs earlier on and Kim & Brom joined me by taking two each. It gave me a really good buzz for the evening and we all had a great laugh during the meal, looking around the hotel, having some good smoke and also speeding and in a good mood generally.
We returned to the hotel at 11-45 p.m. and had to knock on the door loudly before we could get in. Once inside we all headed upstairs to our room, an extra bed was moved in earlier on so that four could fit into the room.
Geoff (who had taken some opium earlier on) was pretty out of it and went to sleep very quickly. Brom, Kim & I sat around talking for ages until they decided to go to bed and try to sleep at 2-00 a.m.
I lit a candle by my bed and wrote my diary for a long time.
Thursday May 28th
Woke up once during the night because of the rain, which came down really heavily at 4-00 a.m. After shutting the window and wrapping myself up against the cold I went back to sleep.
The Australian guy left at 6-30 a.m. as he is going to get a plane ticket today to Patna for Sunday and will probably get another room tonight with a Dutch friend of his. Brom left at 8-00 a.m. I will meet her and Margie (the other Australian girl) for breakfast at 9-00 a.m.
After a good wash I left the room and met the girls for breakfast where I had fried eggs, toast, muesli and a couple of coffees. We all sat around for a while talking and arranged to meet at 7.30 p.m. for an evening meal, as friends were leaving tomorrow and Margie goes on Saturday to Patna.
I left the other two at 10-30 a.m. after listening to some really good music including a lot of Joe Cocker. Unfortunately no-one was smoking hash in the place so I didn’t get into the music as much as I could have done. My intention was to walk out to the British and Indian embassies, the British to catch up on some news and the Indian in case I need a permit for Darjeeling.
Eventually, after a lot of walking, I arrived at the Indian embassy and remembered the way to get there. A short walk down the road I found the English embassy. The guy on the gate told me that the reading room was situated back towards town so I walked half-way back the way I’d come before finding it.
There was a good selection of newspapers and magazines in which I became totally enthralled and stayed there well over three hours. Most of the papers were the businessman’s fare but still provided a real insight into what has been happening at home.
The latest they had was the Financial Times from Wed. 20th and I caught up on a lot of economic news which sounds much as normal although the dollar is very strong because of high interest rates (20% again) and Reagan’s influence.
I also read how Britain is coping economically; not too well by all accounts, still more difficult times ahead for the poor Britons. Also confirmed a rumour that I’d heard that the Pope had been shot, although I was relieved that he is recovering and that the Turkish guy has been arrested. The situation in Northern Ireland seems to be deteriorating rapidly after the death of Bobby Sands and two other hunger strikers, it sounds ominous.
Read also about the escapades of the Thatcher government and the resignation of John Nott over reduced spending for the Navy and subsequently the removal of two more PPS’s. It sounds as though there are some interesting developments at the moment on the constitutional front.
I left at 2-30 p.m. and wandered through Thamel, having an enjoyable walk around the area which is full of hotels, restaurants and is reputed to be more expensive than even Freak Street. Visited a chemists and bought 25 tabs of Dexodrin for R3-60 and 20 tabs of valium for R7-50.
After a couple of coffees and a brownie (no hash though) I raced up to the post-office but there were no letters. Get more discouraged each day as I have to wade through the ‘F’s.
At 4-00 p.m. I went back to the room where Brom and I smoked our first joint of the day. We sat around chatting for a while. We have been having some great conversations in the last couple of days, really open and honest and we seem to be helping each other, talking out our different indecisive feelings about what the future holds.
We are both a little despondent about our partners and their seeming lack of concern that the time-lapse would be inconveniencing us and delaying our travels. My complaint is that Rita got my letters from India alright and knew what the invitation was and that there was a certain amount of urgency about arranging the flight if she was coming.
If it sounds as though I’m being super-critical it is only because I’m still fond of her and just wish the best for her. I’m certain we’ll discover more difficulties and conflicts of interest if she comes to India and we meet up alright. A physical situation doesn’t have to be blamed like a city, it’s what is really between the two people that matters.
I just hope she’s got something organised by now and sends a telegram or express letter to PR Kathmandu which will get here early next week. On Sunday I’ll have to go to the immigration office and extend my visa a week until June 7th which will cost R100 to stay in Kathmandu for those extra days.
If you stay in Nepal then after the first month it can start getting expensive, although whilst trekking it is cheaper. In the second month it costs R100 a week to extend an ordinary visa (original cost R90) and R60 when trekking. There are occasional police and immigration raids on hotels, not looking for drugs but people who have overstayed visas or are misusing a trekking visa by staying in Kathmandu instead of out in the mountains.
Unless the crime is really serious then the problem is usually sorted out with an appropriate fine (flexible but I’ve heard figures ranging from R100 to R500 for the smaller cases). Apparently the raids are quite orderly and the police don’t enter the room but stand at the door inspecting passports and validity of visas.
There are quite a few elusive ones, some of them completely cracked mentally, who have been here fifteen years or more either with Nepalese passports (after claiming citizenship) or those foreigners who had good, secure and lifelong jobs here. Some others still have passports but are afraid or don’t want to leave because they’ve already overstayed their visa.
Even worse are others who have sold their passports and most of their possessions to fuel a desire for drugs, normally heroin, because it creates such a self-centred existence. They don’t give a shit about so called friends after a while and soon reach rock-bottom, where life is not worth anything except for the needle and its expensive and lethal contents.
I’m writing this under the influence of speed early Saturday morning (3-00 a.m.) scribbling down thoughts as they come along in my mind to try and capture some of the true feelings that go through my brain.
During the afternoon I had also enquired about flights and buses to Darjeeling if I still have time to go there. Flights go to the nearest airport (near the foot of the miniature railway leading high into the mountains to the hill station of Darjeeling). The flight would cost R590, which is well beyond my budget.
The bus to Darjeeling leaves Kathmandu every day at 5-00 a.m. in the morning. It arrives at the border after a very rough and exhausting ride 13 hours later. If I’d had news by today then I could have arranged something for Monday morning and been at the border for the evening. I would only be one day late with my visa and that is meant to be no real hassle, a maximum fine of R20 for the day.
The bus costs only R87 to the border which is very reasonable although, if I’m going that way, I should move soon because the monsoons are approaching and the bus doesn’t travel in bad weather as the roads tend to get washed away.
Back in the room at 4-00 p.m. Brom and I smoked a couple of joints which are becoming a little boring because I’m smoking so much. I also had a couple of very dizzy spells on standing up after reading some papers at the consulate reading room. It re-occurred a couple of times later on but not as serious, only momentary confusion. I have been reliably informed that this is probably due to the heavy amounts of dope I’ve been smoking.
Virtually all the time since coming to this delightful country I’ve been trying a lot of their various offerings, which on the whole have been excellent. At 5-00 p.m. (still Thursday, it was a long day) the conversation turned to drugs and what I’d tried and Brom hadn’t.
I was obviously the amateur and she tried to describe a few of the effects (impossible) of smoking & snorting H (never injected and as fiercely against it as me), also cocaine and smoking opium from a proper pipe (as with the Thai hill tribes).
We also discussed acid which in the right circumstances can be excellent, although as I discovered at the Elvis Costello concert and afterwards it can also be a difficult experience. I’m sure after such a long time (April 1980) and my experience with mushrooms recently, I’m much better prepared mentally for such things.
I discovered one thing that Brom had never tried, speed. After a little persuasion she agreed to take two tabs and I took four. We also had another joint for which we take our turns in rolling, although Brom is sometimes too lazy. I am learning a couple of new ways to roll joints, some quite spectacular although difficult to imitate.
We went out at 7-15 p.m. to find Margie’s place of abode which was the Kathmandu Lodge where she pays R20 a night for a nice single room. When we first arrived Margie was having her hair cut by an English guy, Chris, who made a very good job of it.
He is preparing to open a salon in the new hotel to be opened shortly, the Sheraton. It has apparently taken eight years to build but is seen to be one of new ‘top’ hotels in Kathmandu.
Eventually seven of us all headed off at 8-30 p.m. towards an Italian/San Francisco style pizza restaurant. We had an excellent meal and split three giant pizzas of different sorts between the seven of us. They were really filling consisting of many delicious things, such as cheese, tomato, onion, garlic, sardines and in a separate one, salami will all the trimmings.
Had a couple of milk teas to wash down the pieces and gave up after the fourth massive slice. Everybody else managed to polish the plates off and fill themselves to overflowing so that we were all satisfied.
I chatted to Margie for a while. She is a very intelligent and charming girl and great to talk to. She is in a mixed–up world because she is a traveller who really enjoys life but can’t find a comfortable niche in it.
Chris and his wife were a really nice couple and obviously very happy together. I had an enjoyable chat with him, jokingly asking if there was to be a bank at the Sheraton and of the possibility of me landing a job there, although that’s a pretty remote possibility I think.
Chris comes from Bath in Somerset and I think his wife is Australian (although she spoke English English). Other members of our little party included Brom (of course), a pretty spaced out Dutch guy, an American girl, myself, Chris (sometimes called Jason for some reason) and his wife plus of course Margie.
The Dutch guy will be leaving soon. After 3½ years here he wants to split for a while but come back later if he can. That reminds me, the other Dutch guy who I stayed with, Allas, should be returning in the next couple of days if his arrangements go as planned.
After our meal it was getting quite late, almost 10-30 p.m., so the Dutch guy took us to a place called the Dragon Restaurant where we all sat chatting and drinking coffee. The girls had some tantalising-looking cakes and I made a couple of joints to help everyone mellow out.
Brom and I said goodbye to the others and went back to our room where we chatted for quite a long time before Brom got tired at 1-00 a.m. She had enjoyed the speed which had bucked her up a little and given her quite a good buzz. She had taken only two tabs and was able to go to sleep fairly quickly as the effects had largely worn off, just leaving her tired.
I wanted to sleep well so I took 2 tabs of valium to counteract the speed which could have kept me awake all night. After half-an-hour of resting I hadn’t fallen asleep so I took one more tab and was out within five minutes and into a deep slumber.
Wednesday May 27th
Woke up several times during the night because of restlessness and mosquitoes, but apart from that I slept pretty well.
Came around properly at 9-45 a.m. when Brom got up. We had arranged to meet an Australian girl from trekking for breakfast. I had chatted with her briefly yesterday afternoon. We hurriedly washed and dashed down to the restaurant where she was waiting and already eating.
I had a couple of coffees, fried egg on toast and muesli with fruit & curd which was all really tasty. We sat there for ages talking and listening to a Police tape, Regatta de Blanca, which they had playing.
We then split and the two girls went shopping for some clothes. I had my stones with me and so went to a couple of jewellers shops to look at prices and designs for setting them. I found quite a good place off Freak Street and picked out some ring designs which seem to be about the best investment. I picked out thirteen rings for varying stones at costs of between R35 and R60 a setting which is quite good considering the fact that the rings are silver.
I also discovered that I had paid too much for the stones I have, although it will still be possible to make a small profit on the rings I am having set (to sell at prices ranging from DM10 to DM50) basically as an experiment to see if it’s worth shipping stuff back from India & Nepal.
The setting of the stones won’t be completed until Sunday (the day my visa runs out) and will cost R550. That means that I will have to extend my visa for a week whilst hanging around (although it’s not that hard). The other thing is that I’ll have to be careful with money.
After paying for the stones and a new visa plus maybe a sweatshirt & trousers I will have R500 to live on until I leave, which is quite tight. I could of course change one of my two remaining travellers cheques but I am very reluctant to do that until I get back into India.
After arranging everything with the stones I went back to the hotel. Lay on my bed smoking my first joint of the day before writing my diary, a letter to my family, a couple of postcards and getting the diary packed to send to Jan.
Weather is pretty shitty at the moment with a lot of rain building up for the start of the monsoon which is due in the next few days.
The monsoon weather could have a big effect on the way I travel and where I go for the next three or four weeks. Darjeeling still appeals a lot and is meant to be good weather most of the year round. The only hassle then is getting all the way down to Calcutta and then Bombay to meet Rita.
At 2-30 p.m., after another joint, I went down to the Post Office where I bought stamps for my mail which came to a total of R35. The diary was quite bulky and the guy looked at it a little suspiciously (as though it was full of hash).
I then went down Freak Street to a place called the ‘Ol’ Stylist Pie Shop’ where we went last night. Had a couple of cups of coffee, apple pie and chocolate cake and also smoked a couple of joints with the guy running the place and a French guy. The hash was really good and soft and he had a lot although I didn’t have much money to buy any. I did buy a nice lump off him though for R25 and got quite a buzz of the stuff.
Later on I went back to the room and after another joint lay on the bed reading a book of Kim’s called ‘Freedom at Midnight’ which is about India’s independence and is very interesting. Brom came back with a couple of Australian guys she had also met on the trek. One of them will be sleeping on the third bed in our room.
We all went out to eat at 7-00 p.m. after another joint which gave me a little boost for the evening. We went to a nice little restaurant where I had a good meal of vegetable cake, fried potatoes & salad, pancake with sugar & lemon + a pot of tea. We stayed there quire a long time amidst sundry power cuts and storms.
After that we went to the Himalayan coffee shop where the others had cake and chatted while I had a coffee and made a couple of joints which we smoked. We sat there until 10-00 p.m. when the place started to close and then wandered back to the hotel which was already locked up so that we had to knock on the doors before getting in.
We sat around talking for a while and had another joint, although I seem to have smoked so much recently that I am getting a little immune to the effects. I was more in the frame of mind to go out and have a good drink.
Went to sleep at 11-30 p.m.
Tuesday May 26th
I had a restless night’s sleep, the weather was very humid and there was also a late night party going on next door which lasted until 2-00 a.m.
My young Nepalese lady-friend came along at 5-00 a.m. to wake me up and make sure we caught the bus. I got the last of my packing done before popping up to see if Brom was ready. We walked down to the main square and the awaiting bus where we reserved a seat, left our bags and went to get some breakfast.
I just had coffee and toast as it was still early. We started off shortly after 6.30 a.m. with high hopes of reaching Kathmandu quickly but it was not to be. A group of five guys at the front lit up a chillum so that was our signal to roll up a joint or two, which greatly relieved the monotony.
Unfortunately at 8-30 a.m. after quite a steep hill the bus gave up the ghost and had to be abandoned in a village. Our driver then proceeded to hijack a local bus which we all piled onto. We got a seat at the back and quite a few people piled onto the roof with our luggage which was great until they all came inside because of rain.
We had a bumpy but interesting journey with a couple of joints and two stops where I tasted various delights of curd, bread, boiled eggs and cold onion chapattis (all quite cheap, perhaps R1 each). Eventually we arrived in Kathmandu, shaken to bits and tired, at 3-00 p.m.
After some looking around Brom and I finally settled for a hotel called the Sunlight where we got a spacious and clean double room for R20 a night, which is fairly reasonable and also in quite a convenient position to get into town. As soon as we’d dumped our bags both of us raced off in different directions, Brom to get letters at American Express and me at the Post Office.
I got there in 5 minutes flat and impatiently sorted through the letters in the ‘F’ section finding quite a selection for myself. There was a letter from Jan, one from Rita, a three week old one from Andy in Pokhara and four letters from my family.
Went to the coffee shop where they were playing Roxy Music, Flesh & Blood which reminded me of Jan, as I read her really nice letter. It cheered me up a lot and also made me realise how much I miss her. I also had a letter from Rita which seemed very vague, listless and moody. Despite this she says that she is coming to Bombay at the end of June.
I also got four letters from my family which were really nice. One was from my sister who very rarely writes and insists that I should come home sometime for longer than a week so that we can get to know each other again, that made me think a lot. Mother also sent three letters with lots of news and cheery thoughts as always.
She tells me Father is away in the Seychelles working for a while so she has a lot to do at the moment with her Vision card business, Open University course, the house and garden plus of course surgery work. My brother is off again travelling in France and may be in Germany about the time I get there in July.
After reading all the letters a couple of times (especially Jan’s which conveyed a lot of feeling), I returned to the room and had a shower. Then Brom and I had a couple of joints before heading into town and getting some dinner.
We went to quite a smart restaurant where I had vegetable cutlet with fried potatoes and a pancake as afters along with a pot of tea. We chatted to a classy (I mean upper crust British guy) who had been out doing a lot of trekking, some of it difficult, and was very interesting to talk to.
After an apple pie and coffee at one place and a coffee at another, we witnessed the return of electricity, music and also joints. We then headed to Yin Yang where I had a lemon, made a couple of joints which we smoked and listened to some good music (although it seemed a little disco orientated).
Had quite a laugh there before leaving at 10-15 p.m. and wandering back to our hotel. We seem to be getting on very well although purely on a platonic level, of course.
I lay awake for a while writing and thinking about future plans. I am really quite annoyed with Rita that with all the time she has had that she has not yet arranged anything definite. If I knew for certain I would simply head off to Darjeeling for a couple of weeks or even go back to Pokhara for a while.
Brom is in the same boat in that she has received no definite information in her letters to indicate what she should be doing next; either meeting a friend of hers, going to Europe or even back to Australia.
Went to bed at 12-30 a.m.
Monday May 25th
Was awoken at 7-30 a.m. by Kim & Geoff who were on their way to breakfast.
Duly awake I took thirty mushrooms with me for a cheese, onion, tomato & mushroom omelette (unfortunately they had no cheese). I also had some coffee and paid a bill of something like R9. A really good way of beginning the day though, as the mushrooms started their work quite quickly.
It is now 11-00 a.m. and I am using my room as a sort of headquarters for the day, directing operations as the mushrooms take their weird effects. There is no word-imagery that can convey the feeling you get after eating them. It is really physically difficult to write sometimes and formulate the sentences sensibly.
The boy came along, we smoked some chillums and talked about getting my ticket (I’ll do that later). Also talked to the young Nepalese girl who has invited me to rice dinner at 4.00 p.m. (I have partly accepted the invitation). She was asking for money but I buttoned up and had nothing to give.
At the moment there is a sort of party going on outside with a French couple, a Japanese young guy, varied drums and a flute with a chillum passing around. Really very good to listen to. I have just been for a walk to the toilet and my conceptions of everything are just so different from how everything should be.
I was lying back earlier on just trying to use the extra brain cells that seemed to be appearing, a very strange feeling. It is weird being back on an acidy sort of drug again, quite exciting. Everything becomes a big play and the others the entertainment for a while as I lie on my bed amidst it all, great fun.
Outside the Japanese guy is teaching some local boys his language and they have already picked up some characteristics which they now incorporate in their English. The girl is waiting outside my window seemingly awaiting something, probably money.
During the morning I’ve had a brainstorm of thoughts for a story which I jotted down. Quite interesting, although I’d need a month out of my head here in Pokhara on mushrooms to get anything near enough written. If I stayed in this sort of environment though, I could honestly devote myself to something like that.
Brom dropped by and we had a really long chat. She has gallantly bought us a joint ticket to Kathmandu for tomorrow morning so my dream world will soon be shattered. Both of us dropped any remaining pretensions and really talked heart to heart and very openly about our lives. It is refreshing to meet someone receptive to my own way of thinking.
The young girl came by again and decided it would be more diplomatic to invite both of us to dinner at 4-00 p.m. She said later that she would like to marry me although she already has a husband. She is quite interesting to talk to about local customs but not my idea of a wife I’m afraid.
Brom and I went to the Sun restaurant where there seemed to be quite a buzz of activity around us; the boy rolling joints, me already spaced out and the young girl scrounging toast & tea. Brom eventually moved but I just sat there watching everything, the tourists, the traders and the locals.
I ate two tomato breads, two curds and had a tea in between sundry chillums and hallucinations which are quite strong today creating a funny, funny world. The guy who had given me some hash for the gems gave me some good grass instead as the hash was no good.
The weather at the moment is very humid, sweat’s rolling off me, and thunder-clouds are coming in off the mountains.
After a fairly quiet afternoon, Brom came down again at 4 p.m. for our dinner appointment. We had a joint of grass (which was very good) while we waited. The girl came along and we were led to her house which was very small. Her father who has been ill for ten months lay huddled on the bed looking near death.
We waited quite a while for the food to cook and heard various tales from the girl about the family’s problems caused by the father’s illness and lack of money to pay for his operation. The meal was really good; rice, vegetable, dahl and more rice. We gave the girl R5 each to cover her costs and a little more money as well.
After the meal we sat at the Sun restaurant, had a coffee and watched a beautiful sunset with some amazing colours. Later on we moved down to town and pigged out a little more. I had two apple crumbles, a coffee and a beer, as well as quite a lengthy chat with Brom and a couple more joints. After saying goodnight to Geoff & Kim I went to my room, did a little bit of writing and also most of my packing.
Went to sleep at 11-45 p.m.
Sunday May 24th
After a very good night’s sleep I got up at 8-00 a.m.
I then sat around for a while in my room writing and reading. Am now two thirds of the way through ‘Future Shock’ which is very interesting although the author tends to exaggerate many things to try to reinforce the point he is making; that we’re all heading for a form of emotional breakdown because the world is changing so quickly.
My washing was returned yesterday (very clean & only R14 for the lot) and I will get a little preparatory packing done today although I don’t think I’ll be moving on until Tuesday morning. I should then be able to read any post on Tuesday afternoon and make any necessary decisions about how quickly I’ll have to move on, either to Darjeeling or maybe even to meet Rita in Bombay.
I feel rather mixed-up about having asked her for a holiday as I feel that I am now a little limited as to my choice of things to do. However, I’m sure if she comes it will be an interesting experiment to see how we get on together; firstly on holiday together and secondly away from the pressures of Frankfurt.
At 10-00 a.m. I went to fetch the others and we all went to the Sun restaurant where we had some breakfast and a couple of smokes. I am certainly regaining my appetite here in Nepal, a lot of it comes from smoking and the resultant munchies. Eating well is also cheap and provides many taste sensations.
We sat around at breakfast for nearly two hours slowly getting more and more stoned. The others, apart from Geoff and I, went to hire a boat and have a picnic but I wanted to start organising some packing.
On returning to my room I first of all lay on my bed for a while and finished the book ‘Future Shock’ which turned out to be very interesting. As I lay with the window open there were the usual stream of Nepalese people, beggars, children, people selling mushrooms & hash Also there were the normal Tibetan merchants selling their belts and beads.
I had been sorting out some clothes and decided that some were dispensable. One of the merchants offered to exchange things so I did some bargaining and ended up with quite a good deal. I gave him my old pair of cord trousers (which have been dead weight for a while), two pairs of socks and R10.
In return I got two necklaces. One is a heavy one made out of bones & silver which looks really good and must be worth a bit. The other is a smaller one with beads made of Yak bone and silver which is also very ‘tasty’. I like them both but will probably end up giving them as presents.
About 1-00 p.m. the boy dropped by to roll a joint (five minutes after I had eaten a lump of hash). We had a good smoke and I also showed the boy a few things from my bag as I did some re-packing. He was especially interested in the gems which I showed off proudly.
A friend of his came by and took a real interest in them so that I also ended up bargaining and getting a good deal. I gave him three Tiger Eye stones and in exchange he gave me some of hash, which although a little old and brittle was good to smoke.
As the afternoon rolled on the hash I’d eaten took effect and gave me a very pleasant and surprisingly mellow high. I was organised enough to get all my clothes and things prepared on the other bed for final packing.
A Nepalese girl (the one who’d asked before about washing) also came by and started getting quite familiar with me. She made me write out my address in England and also promise to bring her a pair of high-heeled shoes next time I come here. I gave her some small plastic bags, two candles, matches and the earphones from my stolen radio.
As I’m having a sort-out these are things that I won’t really miss and hopefully my bag will be a little more spacious again. It is so easy to travel with very few clothes and I look back at the times I used to travel in Europe & America and the top-heavy packs I had then.
The girl eventually left me in peace (after I had bought her a drink) although she re-appeared later on briefly with her mother and I was invited to a rice & dal dinner tonight or tomorrow. I managed to delay it until tomorrow although I’m not sure if I should go or not.
By 4.00 p.m. I had done all my packing preparations and lay on my bed writing and then letting the hash take effect properly, very relaxing. The rest of the day became an indistinct blur as I firstly went up to meet Brom and we had a couple of teas & a couple of numbers before heading off to a restaurant at 6-00 p.m.
We all went to a place called P.P.’s which was pretty pleasant. No, seriously it was an outside place, quite out of the way (no pun intended but I’m writing this the next morning after another way-out omelette). Anyway, I had a couple of snacks, some coffee and a few more joints as we watched the daylight slowly disappear.
Kim and I then stumbled our way in pitch-darkness back towards their hotel where we eventually arrived at 9-00 p.m. I then sat around pretty buzzed out and vacant. I had a pleasant time just laying back, talking to Brom (who has already read a lot of my diary) and listening to Danny & Geoff playing guitar. It was all really pleasant & idyllic for a while.
Went off to bed at 11-30 p.m.
Saturday May 23rd
I woke up several times after a good night’s sleep before getting out of bed at 9-00 a.m., having a wash and brushing my teeth. It is good to have the luxury of running water again.
Sat around in my room writing, reading and doing some thinking. I gave my washing to the boy and hope to get it back later this afternoon. When I get that back I can start planning my move back to Kathmandu. I won’t leave tomorrow so it will probably be Monday or Tuesday.
On my present visa I’m allowed to stay in Nepal until next Sunday. It is possible to extend visas here in Pokhara although I’m not sure if I can do that in advance and it is also quite costly. I think the best plan is to return to Kathmandu, see what the post holds for me and then decide what to do.
I’m sure that I can meet up again with Geoff, Kim & Brom there if I do decide to stay a little longer in Nepal. I have not yet taken any of the mushrooms as the others were a little dubious and didn’t really want to get involved. There are various ways I can have them, washed & raw, in a soup or in an omelette.
At 10-00 a.m. I was going up to get Geoff, Kim & Brom for breakfast when I met Geoff & Kim coming down. We went into the Sun restaurant which had re-opened today and was really close to my room. We ordered breakfast and I asked if they could cook me an omelette with tomato, onion and some of my mushrooms.
They agreed and I fetched fifteen small ones we picked out yesterday which they fried up for me. The omelette tasted good and so were some of the effects later on. We sat around talking, smoking a couple of joints, drinking coffee as I gave the mushrooms a chance to work.
It is 4-30 p.m. as I write this after an incredible afternoon which is still going on. I’ve been doing plenty of thinking, a lot of hallucinating, some reading and now a bit of writing before going eating. I bought some more hash from the boy as well, really fresh stuff and excellent to smoke.
One good thing, I got a bit speedy on the mushrooms and two days after returning from the trek I eventually got round to having a good shower which was really refreshing along with a shave which also made me feel a lot cleaner.
A couple of people dropped by during the afternoon so of course we smoked a couple of joints to try the new hash I’d bought. Kim borrowed my book on India & Nepal while Brom wants to borrow my diaries of what happened earlier in this trip (I feel quite flattered by her request).
I am at this moment sitting on my bed, relaxed, content for a while, with the boy sitting at the foot of my bed rolling another joint. I think I’ll hang around here at least a couple more days as things seem to be going really nicely again at the moment.
At 5-30 p.m. we all met up and went next door to the newly opened Sun restaurant where we sat for ages talking and eating. I had three really good wheatmeal breads topped with peanut butter, a milk and a couple of milk teas.
We were joined later on by a Scottish guy and a Dutch guy who had met the others whilst trekking. We all sat together watching a beautifully colourful sunset (made even better by the remaining effects of the mushrooms).
Also made a few joints at the restaurant and later back at Geoff & Kim’s room. Geoff has taken some opium which mellowed him out a lot. Around 10-00 p.m. we all went out to eat again.
Had quite an interesting chat with Brom (although we both seemed a little too reserved) before going to bed at 1-30 p.m.
Friday May 15th - Friday May 22nd
Friday May 15th
Woke up after a good night’s sleep (thanks to the mosquito coil) at 5-45 a.m.
The weather seems a little better although still cloudy and a little overcast. The ground is also still very damp. I have decided to go ahead with my trek though. I don’t know what I’m letting myself in for. Wrote my diary for a while and then started to do some packing.
Eventually got everything ready to leave at 7-00 a.m. Paid the boy R30 for the three nights I had stayed and he stored my bag for me until I get back to Pokhara (hopefully in a week’s time).
I decided to walk out of town towards Shining Hospital in the north where the trail started. Three buses passed me in the two hours it took me to walk but by the time the first one came I was already too proud of my little achievement to stop and catch it.
By the time I reached the hospital I was sweating heavily and my shoes (which I haven’t worn for a while) were rubbing a little. The rucksack was also quite uncomfortable and surprisingly heavy. Apart from my shoes I was just wearing shorts and a T-shirt as it gets very hot later on. I have warmer clothes to change into if necessary this evening.
After a cup of tea and a breather I set out on the trail proper at 9-30 a.m. I have decided to head up towards the Annapurna base camp and see how far I get before having to turn back again. I am hoping that I may be able to do it in four days although that is probably a little too ambitious.
After only a short while I met up with an American guy and his Australian girlfriend, who have done long treks before and hope to be away this time for at least three weeks. If this trek goes well I might consider taking another one at a better time of the year for a longer period.
We had an enjoyable chat along the way before reaching a Tibetan village called Tashi Phalkel, where we stopped off for a drink. We then walked on, mostly along the bottom of a valley without a river. Although flat it was quite hard going because of the mud from last night’s rain and a lot of stones along the track. The sun was also very hot and I was sweating profusely so that I was finding the going harder and harder.
Early in the afternoon I stopped off at another village called Suikhem, This is a sort of crossroads of whether to continue west or go over the hills to the north-west and towards the Annapurna range.
I sat for a while with a few Australians and drank a couple of teas while considering what action to take next. A couple of young boys came up to me and asked where I wanted to go. I was still undecided but let them lead me up the hill towards Dhampus.
We climbed up a very steep hill which they took in their stride but I was really struggling and we made several stops because I needed a rest. The boys didn’t, they take this route to school every day. On the way we met countless other children who were all very inquisitive and I felt rather like an old sage or grandfather sitting under a tree in the shade surrounded by them.
They have been spoilt a lot, obviously by tourists, and were constantly asking for biscuits or money. I eventually gave them a packet of biscuits but refused to give them any money. They were all very friendly and acted very nicely to me.
We eventually arrived in the village of Astam where the two young boys lived. One of them offered to take me back to stay with his family for the night. As my legs were very tired and I was suffering a little from the heat I agreed and was subsequently very happy that I did as I enjoyed true Nepalese hospitality for the first time.
The family of eight people live in a small one-room house with a verandah outside. Their house is perched on the hillside, overlooking the valley which I walked today.
After being a little nervous at first the family became really friendly towards me and although they haven’t got much, they share everything they have. Tonight I’ve said I can sleep on the verandah and I will pay them some money towards the food and place to sleep they have given me.
Shortly after arriving the weather changed quite dramatically and the thunderstorms set in again. We went inside for a while and one of the boy’s sisters made some wheatbread over the small fire, which was very tasty.
I keep forgetting the boy’s name but he is nice and does most of the translating as rest of the family don’t speak any English. He is only ten years old but they seem to concentrate a lot here on teaching the children good English.
The house is very primitive and small but it is really ‘home’ to these people and they’ve opened their arms to me. There is a grandmother, mother & father (who I’ve seen once, he is busy working despite the rain), four sisters (one only a couple of weeks old) and the boy.
I spent most of the afternoon sitting around talking to the boy and some of his friends, also teaching them a little more English which was quite amusing. I am feeling the effects of today and a few of my muscles are aching from the exertions, the top of my legs especially which is painful.
As the afternoon wore on it got quite cold as the clouds twirled around the hilltops, sometimes cutting off all visibility, so I changed into my warmer clothes. When the clouds do clear there are some very beautiful views from here. One can also see towards the Annapurnas which is spectacular to say at the least.
I had a Nepalese dinner of rice and dahl which was surprisingly good, although they gave me so much that I was unable to finish it despite the urgings of the whole family. As it was starting to get dark there were some very heavy electrical storms which were a little frightening perched here on a hillside. However, the house is very solid and everything has been built for a purpose.
We had a paraffin lamp between us and chatted for a while in a limited fashion. The father also asked if I liked to smoke, to which he produced a chillum and I my hashish. We had a good smoke although I am still not used to smoking from a chillum, a technique I’ll have to learn properly soon.
After some more talking the whole family went to sleep at 9-00 p.m. They had made me a bed of straw mats on the floor and with my sleeping bag on top it was very comfortable.
Saturday May 16th
Woke up at 6-00 a.m. by which time the women had already been up and working for a couple of hours; especially the eldest sister who is 15 and takes on a lot of the workload, carrying things, cooking & cleaning. As with many of the younger girls she is still very beautiful although with all this strenuous work that will change.
One can see that from the mother who has now borne five children and is not very well, she looks haggard from all the strain. The whole family have proved to be very nice to me and have said they like me. The feeling is mutual, they are very close and loving family held together by their poverty admittedly but also by that very closeness and caring for each other.
Before I left we sorted out how much I should pay them for the food and stay. It worked out to R15/- but as I only had R20/- and they had no change I gave them a small bit extra as well.
After saying goodbye to the family (the father told me that he wants me to marry his daughter) the boy took my pack and led me to the top of the nearby hillside and pointed out Dhampus. This was the village I was heading to next before going onto Landrung where I expected to spend the next night.
After one day’s walking I have moderated my ideas a little about how far I’m capable of going in a week. There is no way I can make it to the base camp in such a short time so I will be a bit more free and easy with my ideas and see what happens.
I started walking, noticing all the aches & pains which wracked my body, especially the frame of the rucksack pressing into sore points it made on my back yesterday. However, I soon started picking up pace and getting into the rhythm again. The walking was quite hard going with very stony tracks and a lot of them going uphill.
The weather was alright in the morning with not too much sun and a lot of cloud cover. When the sun did come out later on I could feel the intense heat on the back of my neck. I should really get a hat.
When the boy had shown me Dhampus it seemed far enough away but walking the distance made it seem considerably further. It took nearly three hours to find my way up hills and along ridges and a couple of times I missed the proper track and had to retrace my steps.
There were a few villages along the way with many eager young hands willing to point out the way, although there was often a request for money tagged onto the end. This often annoys me although it shouldn’t. They know we are comparatively rich otherwise we couldn’t afford to come here, so they expect sympathy from us.
During my climb (or rather clamber) upwards I passed into the wooded areas which frequent the upper hillsides in this valley. The only problem were the many roots which tripped me up a lot of the time. I reached Dhampus at 9-45 a.m. after a very tiring section of countryside and felt like giving up already and staying there.
After a couple of cups of tea and a cigarette I felt a little more ready to face the trail again, although my body didn’t seem to agree. I sat for half-an-hour before getting myself together enough to move again, this time to head to Landrung which was at least another four hours walk away.
If I had thought the inclines and slopes on the first section were bad then I didn’t know about those on the next part of the trek. For 1½ hours all I seemed to be doing was climbing the steps made out of large stones stretching endlessly up and across the hillside.
There were two top expressions which passed my lips today:
1/. Namaste, which is Good morning or Good day in Nepalese, and
2/. Oh fucking hell, not another lot, as I saw beyond the next bend that the path was still weaving upwards.
I made frequent stops along the way, which only made me feel worse once I started off again, as all the aches would be at their strongest then. Shortly before 1-00 p.m. I arrived at the top and had another rest although I knew I was well behind schedule.
Chatted for a while with a Danish couple who were going the opposite way and we also swapped details on how the going was. We both gave the same answer that it was mostly downhill in either direction.
I set out again, after drinking the last of the water, hoping that it was not too much further to Landrung. The trail zig-zagged down the hillside and was very stony. It consisted of a lot of shale which made it slippery and sometimes even a stream-bed along which water flowed which made the going even more awkward.
Worse still the skies were darkening and I could hear distant thunder. The rain started coming down as I crossed a rickety bridge over a small river. I got out my waterproof jacket and strapped it around the rucksack to try and keep the contents dry. I was only wearing shoes, socks, shorts and a T-shirt so that didn’t matter so much.
I struggled on as the strength of the storm and the heaviness of the rain increased. The track now wound round the edge of another hillside and after a short while, really drenched, I arrived at a little village called Thokra.
This was a real godsend as there were a couple of small restaurants and hotels, obviously to cater for the stranded tourist like me. I dashed into the first place I saw and everyone was delighted to see and welcome me to their two-room hotel of which I appear to be the only occupant.
I found out later that the tourist trade in the area has been really bad this year. The place consisted of two separate buildings, one in which the family live and I later ate, and another, like a concrete stable, which housed the two beds.
There was also a verandah with another bed and a splendid view across a meeting of valleys (when it wasn’t raining or clouded over). We were treated to an incredible storm with heavy rain & sleet, thunderstorms & claps of thunder which resounded around the hills. I must admit it made me a little scared being in the midst of so much power.
I changed my clothing to something warmer and took my shoes off to reveal a bloodied left foot and a blistered right foot, not a very pretty sight. I think boots might have been more suitable for this sort of terrain.
At 3-00 p.m. I made myself a joint (after everyone had gone next door) which went down very well indeed. I snuggled up in my sleeping-bag to keep warm and dozed for a while.
A couple of hours later I went next door for a meal which was cooked up in front of me by the woman of the house. I had vegetable dahl, rice and two egg omelettes which tasted delicious and perked me up a bit.
After another tea I went and sat on the verandah and wrote about today’s various escapades until the light got too bad to see what I was writing about.
Went to bed quite early at 8-00 p.m.
Sunday May 17th
Woke up at 2-30 a.m. after having put my feet through the bottom of my sleeping bag. As it was quite cold I did a quick repair job on it and then went back to sleep. Had many strange dreams before waking again at 6-45 a.m.
Felt very rested and some of the aches seem to have subsided but I’ll be able to judge that better on the trail. My feet are in quite a bad way though and it is difficult to do more than stumble around at the moment. After the long stretch walking yesterday I’m not going to be so ambitious today.
Had a tea and some biscuits and looked out over the mountains as the sun slowly swept its rays around in our direction. The scenery is all incredibly beautiful. After that I got my things together and packed my bag in preparation for some more walking.
After paying my bill which came to R16-50 (they don’t charge for the bed) I left at 8-00 a.m. I walked around the hillside and into a sort of hidden valley, where there were many streams leading down to the main river of the area and also a spectacular view of the unclimbed ‘Fish-Tail’ mountain. It seems really close now and dominates the surrounding landscape with its distinctive range and snow-capped peaks.
I took a couple of photos which I hope turn out alright and also chatted with some couples coming in the opposite direction. Every other westerner I see on this route seems to be heading towards Pokhara, maybe they all know something that I don’t.
After an hour and a half’s walking I eventually reached Landruk as it was starting to get really hot again. The route so far had been fairly level although very rough ground which made it hard on my feet (they suffered the most today as carrying the rucksack becomes slightly easier and the aches in my legs are getting better).
I stopped off and had a couple of teas at a small lodge before heading downhill towards the river, which was very steep and hard going although not so long. It took about half-an-hour. I crossed the river by means of an old bridge which looked as though it would collapse at any minute.
My next task looked daunting and took my breath away (as it did nearly all the way up). When I write things in my diary it is impossible to write everything down but the thoughts that go through my mind (as I am trekking the difficult parts especially) would normally be unprintable. A brief resume would probably run like this:
· what on earth am I doing here?
· how much further is it?
· wish I could have a new pair of feet
· must have another break
· this shade’s lovely, I’ll stay here for a few more minutes
· why can’t they build these pathways properly (very unreasonable)
· where’s the nearest cloud to cover the sun for a while?
· wonder if this really is the right way
· what I’d do for a drink (or a porter)
· wish we’d reach some level ground soon (whether going up or down)
The hill that confronted me from the river looked enormous and I almost dreaded climbing it as it looked so foreboding. First of all I lost my way by taking a dead-end trail going in the wrong direction. I realised this when we arrived at a waterfall and beyond there was no more path.
This cost me a lot of time and energy as I tried to head first across the irrigated land but then eventually had to return to the bottom of the valley before being able to locate the right way, very frustrating.
It took me a good two hours to struggle up the steep, winding, stony track and I had to take a break every five minutes to regain my strength and also my breath. Some of those breaks became elongated as I argued to myself that I had all the time in the world.
The weather was still sunny with blue skies and only a few small cumulus clouds hiding the ‘Fish-Tail’ mountain and its companions. After numerous struggles and with a last burst of effort I eventually reached Ghandruk at 1-00 p.m. It is perched almost at the top of the hillside and overlooks the valley and the way I had just come.
It is a beautiful little village with magnificent views which has a small ‘hotel’ called ‘Trekking Stops’ that provides showers, soft beds, food and drink. In fact almost all the comforts of home (well almost, there is no electricity but that doesn’t really matter).
Sat around outside with a couple of American girls who were very interesting and we had a great little chat. Later on a few other western faces appeared so that there was quite a crowd of us. I was the only one who had come the way I had (it seems to be a good return route but maybe a little strenuous as an out-going one for an amateur like me).
Had a couple of teas before taking all my things to the dormitory and the bed I had been allocated. I then sat around outside in the brilliant sunshine and wrote my diary for a while. Also chatted to some of my travelling companions about their experiences on the trail.
We seem to have a really nice bunch gathered together here, some French, a few Americans and a couple of Australian girls. It should be an interesting afternoon as there is also a chillum being passed around by the French couples. I’ll indulge later on. It clouded over which really cooled the air a lot but it didn’t look like raining for a while.
Had dinner at 7-00 p.m. after making up and smoking a joint and watching the full moon rise over the mountains as dusk slowly set in. For dinner I had an egg omelette, cornbread & jam and then as we all sat around talking I had a couple of milk teas and a lemon. Later on I had a smoke with the French couples which blew my head for a while.
Went to bed at 8-30 p.m.
Monday May 18th
Woke at 6-00 a.m. and got up fairly soon afterwards.
Had a glimpse of the Annapurna range but it was very cloudy so I was unable to take any photos. At 6-30 a.m. I sat down to breakfast of oat porridge (which was very good), 2 boiled eggs and a couple of cups of tea. As I write this I am in the middle of that breakfast but still undecided about what to do.
My feet are very sore so Ghore Pani is definitely out. The choice is between staying here for another day or Bhiritanti which is the hot favourite at the moment. The Swiss girl tipped the balance for me. She said that it was only a 3-4 hour walk, mostly downhill and there was a waterfall there.
Having decided that it would be very difficult for me to walk in my shoes, as they seemed to be cramping my feet too much, I dug out my flip-flops. Didn’t get away until 8-00 a.m. but that gave me plenty of time to cover today’s route. The weather was mostly overcast although the sun did manage to escape its cloud cover sometimes and when it did it got very hot.
The trail was fairly easy to follow and was nearly all downhill. At first I followed the steps for half-an-hour down the way I had come yesterday, before branching off onto a much more gently sloping path. This later descended more steeply again as the path led down to the valley floor where the river was flowing and a bridge, over which I would have headed if I’d been heading back towards Pokhara.
On the way I met some other westerners. There were a couple of guys on their own, an English family from Manchester (father, mother and two young sons) and an ex-Gurkha who seemed really pleased to find out I was English because he’d been in the British Army for fifteen years.
I also saw many fascinating insects; grasshoppers, huge bumble bees, a large butterfly with black wings and a lot of funny red-winged creatures crawling around on the ground, a lot of them mating. The landscape was all very fertile with many little settlements dotted along the way to take advantage of the natural water supply.
After the bridge the track stayed close to the river, weaving along its right bank. Along this stretch I stopped a couple of times to administer first-aid to my feet, which were cutting up a little in my flip-flops. After a long morning’s walk I arrived in the village of Bhiratanti.
The village sits on the lower slopes of the hillside alongside a stream (with a waterfall nearby). I headed down through the village looking for Hotel SunRise which the Swiss girl had said was very good. After five minutes I found it and immediately recognised some people sitting out front, it was the two Danish couples.
The one Danish couple I’ve seen in so many different places; on the bus & train to Raxaul, then in Kathmandu, also in Pokhara and now here. I had a couple of teas before going upstairs to one of the dormitories where I found a bed. There I got chatting to a really nice French girl who has been travelling around India, Sri Lanka and now Nepal for a total of nine months.
She has to go home soon but has had a great time. We also found out we had a common interest and so she rolled up a joint of grass while I made one of hash. We smoked them and sat chatting a while. She then left to go to the waterfall but I was too stoned and tired to bother. I’ll have plenty of time tomorrow.
Spent most of the time in the afternoon lying on my bed reading, writing & dozing. This place is really pleasant, set in beautiful surroundings and should be very relaxing to my weary body. While I was stoned this afternoon I was thinking a lot about this whole trip and how it is providing me with so many new experiences.
It is 3 months tomorrow since I left England and 3½ months since I left Germany and also seemingly took up monastic vows. In a lot of ways time has sped by, but in others so many things have happened it seems a lifetime ago that I was working in Frankfurt. I’m sure it won’t take me long to recondition myself upon my return though.
Went downstairs at 6-30 p.m. having already ordered my meal earlier on. I sat around for a while with the Danish people and played cards with them, ‘rummy’ at which I found I wasn’t very good. They will be moving on early tomorrow morning towards Gandruk, although no doubt I’ll see them again back in Pokhara.
I had my dinner of egg soup and veg. fried rice which all tasted very nice. I also had a couple of cups of tea and some soft drinks as I sat around playing cards. At 8-30 p.m. they closed the shop up downstairs so we went upstairs where the French girl, a Spanish guy and I smoked a couple of joints.
We sat around talking until 10-00 p.m. when the other three in our room (all Australian, one guy and two girls) came back from an excursion. It was full moon but unfortunately all clouded over, which was a bit of a disappointment.
I went to sleep at 10-30 p.m. with the sound of rushing water in the background.
Tuesday May 19th
Despite this being a rest day I still woke up early at 6-00 a.m. although I didn’t get out of bed until 7-30 a.m.
Everyone in our room had decided to stay on a day although everybody else in the hotel had moved on, very strange. I had breakfast of two fried eggs and at least three teas before having a wash, going to the ‘toilet’ and brushing my teeth. I then sat around outside the hotel chatting to the Australians most of the morning.
Geoff had been in Chiang Mai when we were all in jail and knew English John (who had been helping us) from Cosa Mui as well as Chiang Mai. He gave me all the impressions that he had from the outside and made me feel like quite a celebrity. We talked about what had happened in Thailand for a long time and everybody was really interested in my passport.
After a while I made a couple of joints of which everyone partook and we all got pleasantly mellowed out for some nice conversation throughout the morning. After midday people slowly drifted off to the waterfall and eventually Geoff and I joined them. We walked out of town for twenty minutes before reaching it and it was worth it.
The fall was quite large with a pool at the base in which I went swimming a couple of times. The current was very powerful and it was almost impossible to swim right up to the waterfall. It was very refreshing though and a great feeling to be swimming again.
At 2-30 p.m. the weather started clouding over so we all headed back to the village. I then lay on my bed for a while, writing and having a short rest before returning to join the others downstairs. Most of the late afternoon and early evening were spent sitting around chatting, rolling up more joints and getting even more stoned.
Had quite a laugh with the Australians and also a few others joined us for blows of various ‘numbers’ (as they are called in Australia). At 6-30 p.m. I had my tea of tomato & onion omelette, peanut butter chapatti and a bottle of beer which I shared with Geoff (the first since Kathmandu).
Then as dusk fell we all went down to the bridge nearby to try and see the sunset, but it was very cloudy. Instead we got caught in the middle of the bridge as the local boys played their daily game of swinging the bridge and frightening the tourist. It wasn’t that bad really although a couple of the girls were rather scared.
At 8-30 p.m. everywhere was locked up and we all went upstairs where the Australians, the Spanish guy, an English guy and I all sat around talking and smoked a couple more joints. It was really interesting getting stoned and doing a lot of talking today. It has removed some of those inhibitions that were building up inside me.
Went to sleep at 10-00 p.m.
Wednesday May 20th
I woke up at 5-45 a.m. feeling fairly fit.
Chatted to Brom (one of the Australian girls) for a while before having a wash, writing my diary and then going downstairs for breakfast. I had an oat porridge and milk tea before paying my bill which came to R93 for the two days, which for what I’ve had is very cheap.
Quite a group collected as we all got ready to head off towards Pokhara, intending to stop in Naudanda which is 5-6 hours walk. The French girl and her boyfriend set off at 7-00 a.m. hoping to walk as far as Pokhara. The rest of us set off at 8-00 a.m.
To start with there were six of us; Geoff, Kim (Geoff’s girlfriend), Brom, a Belgian guy, an English guy (who we lost along the way) and myself. Firstly we had to walk over the bridge and then ascend steadily towards the village of Chandrakot which lay at the top of the hill.
It was a hard walk and a very heavy climb impeded by donkeys which threaded along the trail carrying their burdens to many remote places. The donkeys were usually in groups of ten with a couple of Nepalese moving them along. The lead donkey and sometimes the one behind are decked out in fancy headgear with a large feather and a huge bell hangs from their neck.
Some of the other animals also have bells around their bodies to warn of their approach. If you get in the way of a fully-loaded donkey it could be dangerous as they are very strong. There were also many locals carrying their different loads of wood, vegetables and other provisions.
During the day we saw other men & women porters carrying many different parts for some machinery and also huge amounts of heavy duty steel cable, which must have been incredibly difficult to transport.
Despite all the drawbacks we made good progress up the hillside and reached Chandrakot surprisingly quickly. We walked along then, fairly on the level, chatting with each other and having a good laugh. Everyone seems very happy to be heading back. Most of the others have been trekking for a month now which is a long way away from the comforts of a shower and at least a spattering of electricity.
We headed along to the next village of Lumley where the sister of the woman from the SunRise had a restaurant. We stopped there for a while and I had a couple of chapattis with peanut butter and a lemon. The prices this near to Pokhara are very reasonable but as you go further and further away the prices increase drastically to pay for porterage charges.
We then set off for the next stretch to Naudanda which involved a lot of ups and downs, very muddy trail in places and a lot of human and animal traffic coming the other way. We arrived in there at 1-00 p.m. after an enjoyable and cheerful stroll which had proved to be much easier than expected.
The sun was very strong today and I burnt the back of my neck quite badly although it feels alright. Apparently it looks like a battlefield. We picked the first lodge and dived into the dining room where Geoff immediately ordered some beer as it was chilled. During the afternoon we devoured five bottles as well as a veg. dahl with rice each.
For the second time on this trip I seem to be meeting up with a nice crowd of people who enjoy themselves and are quite close to my level. The three Australians are a real laugh. Having grown up together they seem very close and fond of each other. They are all outgoing in their different ways and seem very genuine, real people.
For a while this afternoon we sat out in the sun admiring the beautiful view down towards the lake and Pokhara town. Also bought some local grass which we tested and found that it did the trick. It got us nicely stoned which along with the beer made us all very merry and we had a good laugh chatting and swapping stories.
Shortly before 5-00 p.m. the other four went off for a walk into the village while I lay on my bed trying to get this diary together. It wasn’t long afterwards that the black rain clouds rolled in over the mountains and we had a terrific downpour of very heavy rain. Hopefully the others found some shelter alright.
As the rain continued I read some of a book I acquired last night called ‘Future Shock’ by Alvin Toffler. I swopped it with the Belgian guy for my omnibus of SF short stories which I finished a couple of days ago. At 6-30 p.m. I had an evening meal of vegetable curry & potato chips, which was quite good.
The others eventually struggled back at 7-30 p.m. after taking shelter in another restaurant for a while. We then sat around in our room listening to the howling wind (the place sits at the top of a ridge) and smoked a couple of ‘bombers’ (hash & grass together) which were quite potent.
We all had a good laugh before going to bed at 9-00 p.m.
Thursday May 21st
Woke up quite early at 5-00 a.m. but lay in bed for a while writing my diary before getting up at 6-00 a.m.
We were heading back to civilisation today and had decided to go a slightly different way back so that we ended up at the lakeside for a swim. This way was a lot more difficult but formed a last challenge for the intrepid trekkers.
We all paid our bills. I was surprised how little mine was, only R33, even including one beer last night. Five of us moved our belongings a hundred yards down the hill to a restaurant where we had an excellent breakfast of banana muesli. Sat there for ages talking and watching the sunrise behind the clouds creating many varied patterns and different colours across the valley below
Eventually started off again towards Sarangkot which lay on the ridge overlooking the lakeside and after which we only had to climb down a steep slope before getting our long-awaited swim. It was a very long slog and a lot of it along the ridge involved more climbing but underfoot the conditions were good and we made quite a fast pace.
As we walked along the ridge we could at first see two valleys, one on either side, but later just the Pokhara valley with the lake way beneath us. We made a few stops but fairly quick ones to let people catch up. Most of the time we were walking steadily towards the end of the ridge and Sarangkot.
Arrived there at 11-00 a.m. and made a stop for a while for a cup of tea and to survey the really beautiful view over the whole of the Pokhara valley. Half-an-hour later we started the steep descent down to the floor of the valley which took at least an hour and a half and I trailed badly going down the steep rocky and grassy slopes because my flip-flops were hampering me a lot.
We followed differing tracks down the hillside, winding our way slowly to the bottom in the burning heat of a very hot midday sun. We eventually arrived at the bottom and after a brief rest we set off hotfoot towards the lake and within fifteen minutes we were all in the water.
Had an enjoyable swim in the water which was surprisingly warm. When I came out the guy from my hotel had magically appeared, as though he’d seen us in Sarangkot and come racing across to meet me. He had a lump of really fresh hash which I bought for R35.
I then made up a joint with some grass as well which was very good and got us all pleasantly stoned. The last mile or so still lay ahead of us and eventually we decided to tackle it. We stumbled into town like a team just returning from Everest and waited for the shock of arriving back in town to hit us.
It was quite a shock seeing all the people and traffic again. We spent an hour or so in a restaurant where Geoff and I had a pint of cold fresh milk which really went down well. I also had a pizza, pot of tea and apple crumble.
We then sat around for a while before paying our bill and leaving at 4-00 p.m. when I eventually got the chance to get a room again in the place I’d stayed in before. Danny, the Belgian guy has a place a long walk away but Brom, Kim & Geoff are situated only five minutes’ walk away.
I went round to their hotel where we all spent the rest of the afternoon. Danny & Geoff have small guitars which they can both play quite well so that provided some good entertainment. Geoff bought some opium from the guy that I get my stuff from and we all swallowed a tablet-size chunk which later on really subdued me very nicely.
Sat around chatting before moving out onto the balcony as the sun was setting, listening to Geoff and Danny playing some very good music, drinking lots of teas and watching the stars appear in a very clear sky. At 9-00 p.m. Kim, Brom and I went back into town but most of the restaurants were too crowded so we wandered around before the other two went back to their hotel.
I went to a small Nepalese restaurant which was deserted and had a really nice meal of vegetable cutlet and chips + a beer, which went down very well. They also had some music which I listened to as I re-read my diary of the trek, which made interesting reading.
Went back to my room and after emptying my rucksack out I did a little reading by candlelight before going to sleep.
Friday May 22nd
Woke up several times during the night during some more heavy rainstorms but fell back to sleep again fairly quickly. I came to again properly at 8-30 a.m. as the rain was stopping.
Had a wash, brushed my teeth and sorted out a few of my possessions to be washed. I sat in my room writing. A woman came by with some mushrooms which I’ve never tried properly but always wanted to. They cost me R25 for fifty or sixty tops. The boy also came to my room and rolled up a good joint which we smoked between us.
I got my black bag back, sorted out some more washing and tried to get things a little more organised. I won’t be getting very much done today although I must post a couple of letters for the Danish couple and I should also write a letter to Rita.
The others must all go to the bank today to get some money and also the immigration dept. where they must extend their visas which ran out yesterday. I am feeling quite pleased that the trek is over. It was a very enjoyable if strenuous experience which got me vaguely fit again. I now need a couple of days rest before attempting anything else like getting a ticket to Kathmandu.
As I write this it is 10-00 a.m. and the power has come on for a while, the first evidence of working electricity for quite a time. Spent most of the morning writing and also smoking a couple more joints. Brom also dropped by on her way to breakfast, the bank and the immigration office. I wrote a letter to Rita and although I was pretty stoned whilst writing, it sounded alright.
Just before midday I went down the road, firstly to post the letters and secondly to get some breakfast/dinner as the munchies had really set in. I had a cheese, tomato, onion omelette, a pot of tea and a couple of chapattis with peanut butter. I then returned to my room where I read some of the book ‘Future Shock’ for a while.
The weather was not so good the whole day with a lot of rain making the pathways very muddy. There was a little sunshine in the afternoon which dried things out a bit but the evening bought more rain. The rainfall seems to be steadily increasing as the monsoon gets nearer and I imagine that in the next couple of weeks it will get more and more difficult to go trekking.
At 1.00 p.m. Geoff and Kim came by and we sat around talking and smoking a couple more joints. I showed Geoff the newspaper clipping from the Thai paper in Chiang Mai which he had seen before, confirming that I had been inside at the same time he had been staying in Chiang Mai.
It is all quite a coincidence that he should have known John before and through that about our whole predicament. The second part of the coincidence is of course meeting him on a trek in the mountains of Nepal.
Later on we all headed to Geoff, Kim & Brom’s hotel where we sat for quite a time talking and smoking some more before the munchies dragged us to a restaurant again at 5-30 p.m. This time I had egg & vegetable cutlet, chips, a pot of tea, peanut butter pancake and banana & honey pancake.
On returning to the room again, dodging the many showers, we had some opium which Geoff, Kim and I indulged in a little bit more than yesterday. We watched the sun’s effects behind the clouds as it set and sat around listening to Geoff playing the guitar for a long time.
Brom & Danny (the Belgian guy) came by at 8-30 p.m. and joined in the conversation and rolled a couple more joints. At 10-30 p.m. we had to go out eating again to a Nepalese restaurant which stays open late. This time I just had a snack of toast & jam and a hot lemon.
After a couple of joints at the restaurant we were all pretty well blasted (although my resistance is building up). We all said our goodbyes and headed back to our various beds. I went to sleep very quickly (because of the opium which really relaxed me) at 12-30 a.m.
Thursday May 14th
It rained very heavily at around 4-00 a.m., quite a storm although it cleared the air nicely.
Eventually got up at 9-00 a.m. and after washing and doing some writing I went out for breakfast. Had cornflakes, fried egg on toast & a pot of tea at a local restaurant.
Suitably fortified I set out to walk into the part of town away from the lake, partly with some ideas of enquiring about trekking. Walked the 2-3 kilometres in very hot weather before I reached the other busy part of town, the area around the airfield where many more expensive hotels are situated.
I went into a couple of shops enquiring about the cost of organised treks which turned out to be very expensive, costing anywhere from US$20 upwards per day. I have therefore decided to attempt a trek on my own for 5-7 days (my permit is for 7 days starting tomorrow).
Walked back down to the lakeside where I bought a few things in a ‘trading-post’, a map of trekking routes (there are several good ones north towards Annapurna base camp), some mosquito coils, insect repellant, toilet paper, soap, writing book and playing cards, total cost R80.
Went back to my room, had a joint (although the best of the grass is gone) and thought about the pros & cons of going trekking. If I can get everything organised then I’d like to get started early tomorrow morning. Should be an interesting experience and hopefully I’ll be a lot fitter for it by this time next week.
At 2-00 p.m. a couple of young guys came by with a ‘tola of hash’ which they were trying to sell for R60. I didn’t act very interested so they dropped the price and I did some bargaining. Eventually got the lump for R35 and bought the guys a drink between them.
Shortly after they left I had a small joint to test my buy. It was very pleasant and a nice change after the harshness of so much grass yesterday. I had an interesting afternoon lying on my bed with the window and door open reading.
At 4-00 p.m. a real thunderstorm set in with heavy rain. A few people came onto the verandah, most of them women returning home after a heavy day’s work carrying wood and water about. At the same time I happened to be smoking a joint which made me feel a little paranoid but it didn’t seem to matter.
One woman was a little bolder than the others and started talking to me, asking if I wanted any washing done. She was young with a beautiful face and had with her a small son. We had a nice conversation as her English was very good (a lot of the locals speak excellent English) and she seemed very genuine.
In a few years she will be old and wrinkled like most of the women beyond about 30. They certainly carry a burden of the heavy work here and the men seem to have it good most of the time.
After the storm was over I helped her lift the stone water jug onto her back where it was held in a net bag by a band supported on her forehead. We said our goodbyes and I promised her, when I returned from trekking, she could do my washing at which she seemed pleased.
I am also trying to arrange hiring of a rucksack, sleeping bag & canteen through the boy at this ‘hotel’. If they turn up tonight then I’ll be on my way tomorrow morning as early as possible (I can leave my other bag here). I hope to trek to the Annapurna Base Camp but that is normally a six-day trek so I may have to stop before getting there and come back to stay within the seven days of my permit (although overstaying one or two days shouldn’t cause any problems).
I think as I’m going to be on my own and pushing myself hard it will be quite a strenuous but of course healthy exercise. There were more storms and I was unable to get out for some more provisions. If the shop is closed later on I’ll have to try and buy something along the way. It will not be a lonely trek, there are plenty of towns, settlements and places of shelter along the way.
At 7-00 p.m. I went with the boy to a friend of his who had some equipment to hire to me; a small frame rucksack, a sleeping bag and also a large water bottle. He wants R11 a day as hire charge which is alright and originally wanted R400 deposit but as I am leaving my other bag here that now seems to be no problem.
I will have to buy stomach tablets and water purification tablets at a chemists along the way tomorrow. About 8-00 p.m., still with no electricity and everywhere lit by candles, I went out for a meal. I had a Nepalese special made of vegetable dahl, curry, rice and chapattis which was surprisingly good and cost only R6.
The Sun Restaurant was only 50 yards away from my room so I simply stayed there when the rain started coming down really heavily, almost monsoon-like, and didn’t stop for the rest of the evening. I sat there until 10-00 p.m. (when they closed) drinking cokes & fantas and also chatting to some of the local people who work here.
Had a good time although I was quite shocked at the extent to which people can be influenced by dope. There were a couple of young lads involved in making joints (very professionally) and a couple of the older women were involved in selling a large deal of hash (two massive lumps) to an American guy.
The music was good (again from a battery player) and included Dire Straights, Steely Dan plus a few other oldies. Returned to my room at 10.00 p.m. and slept very quickly wondering whether or not it would be possible to go trekking tomorrow.
Wednesday May 13th
Woke up several times during the night because of mosquitoes. That gave me a chance to walk outside and admire the stars and the moon which shone so clearly and brightly.
I was also conscious when it got light and later at 5-30 a.m. when everything looked really fresh and lovely. Saw some beautiful views from my window of the sun rising above the lake and the surrounding mountains.
Went for a wash at 6-15 p.m. and from the bathroom got a glimpse of even more spectacular scenery; the snow-capped peaks of the still-unclimbed Machhapuchhare (The Fishtail) which towers to 23000 feet and dominates the views from the whole valley as it is only 16 miles away. I then had a small joint and lay on my bed for a while looking through my window at the valley coming to life.
At just after 7-00 a.m. I got up again and after doing some reading, I headed out to the ‘Sun’ restaurant where I had scrambled eggs on toast (not very good) and a cup of tea. I then wandered down to the lakeside which was all very beautiful and from where one can hire boats fairly cheaply.
I walked around the lakeside and after clearing the edge of town started to wander the tracks, which all the Nepalese were using to weave their way across the irrigated plains lying between the various headlands. The natives carry really heavy materials by a very primitive method but it works. Men & women have a band across the forehead which takes the weight of everything they carry across their backs.
It is incredible watching the women plodding steadily on with massive loads of firewood and straw doubling them up. I walked for a long time but eventually rested on a grassy knoll by the lakeside amongst the cows, water buffaloes, dragonflies and many other forms of wildlife to have another joint. Sat there for a while but the weather was getting very hot so I headed back to Pokhara and back to my room.
Whist out walking I was approached by an older Nepali man who quite surprised me by trying to sell me a ball of hash. Later on I was approached by a younger guy selling mushrooms; now that could be interesting to do, especially with someone else.
A lot of people must find the dealing a much more lucrative way of life than in farming where a worker’s wage can be as little as R100 a month. The weather in the afternoon clouded over but didn’t rain. After the sights I’d seen this morning that didn’t bother me.
I think the best one can compare the scenery in this part of Nepal is to a country like Switzerland with the rolling mountains, snow-capped peaks, lakes and greenery.
The rest of the afternoon I just lay on my bed, smoking and reading. At 6-00 a.m. my stomach stirred me into some action and I went out to get something to eat.
Walked down to the centre of town where I saw the Danish couple again (still don’t know their names) and sat down with them at a restaurant. They were with an older Danish pair and they are going trekking tomorrow for ten days.
We sat for ages waiting for the meal and they all chatted amongst themselves. I was pretty stoned still, so was quite happy just sitting there. There was no electricity again so we had dinner by candlelight. It is estimated that the power here is only on an average hour or two per night and not very often at all during the day.
I had a meal of steak, chips & veg, tea and a coke which I enjoyed very much. Around 8-15 p.m. I went to another place a quarter of a mile further along the road with the younger couple. We went to this ‘shack’ where a lot of people were sitting around stoned listening to music (a recorder with batteries) and drinking. I had one joint of grass which I passed around but people were more interested in the chillum which I also got passed. I ducked my turn a couple of goes but still got well out of my head on the couple of blows I had.
I walked back to my room in darkness and after a couple more joints went to sleep at 10-30 p.m.
Tuesday May 12th
Woke up a minute before my alarm went off at 5-10 a.m.
Got up, had a wash, and did some last minute packing before saying goodbye to Allas and leaving just after 5-30 a.m. Walked into town and arrived to check-in at a little after 6-00 a.m.
I was one of the first to arrive and so I sat on the bus for a while waiting. The bus is a 28-seater reputedly from Switzerland (although it must be very old) and proudly proclaims on the side ‘Swiss Mini-Couch’, it wasn’t as comfortable as that.
Our ride was meant to only last six hours but we had a late start at 7-00 a.m. and a few problems along the way (which involved stopping every 20 kms to load up with more water for the engine). This meant that we didn’t arrive in Pokhara until mid-afternoon.
The first part of the journey was very bumpy as we headed back through a gap in the mountains but from there it was better, with a paved road built in co-operation with China (every one of Nepal’s major roads, which don’t number many, seem to be built with help from another country).
The countryside and different landscapes along the way were really interesting. Everything seemed so fertile because of the abundance of water. We travelled a lot of the time along river valleys which were extremely green and luscious.
I slept part of the way, being quite tired, but was frequently disturbed by bumps in the road and constant stops either to get tea for the passengers or water for the bus.
Pokhara is a very different place to what I had imagined. It consists basically of a long main road leading from a small airfield right down to the lakeside where we were dropped off. It is a beautiful situation with the deep blue lake, a forested mountainside opposite and the surrounding mountains, especially the Annapurnas, seeming really close because of their size. We are about a thousand feet lower than Kathmandu and the sun seems to shine most of the day. It’s also possible to swim in the lake although I think it will be cold.
After a refreshing cup of tea (which tasted like coffee) I let a Nepalese lad lead me to one of the many lodges here. It basically consists of a long bungalow split off into rooms in a row and at the end, after five or six rooms, the toilet and bathroom. The room I was shown was basic but alright with another bed.
I will be charged R10 a night on my own or if I’m joined by someone else R7-50 each. The young lad who showed me the room also sold me some grass (he has a sackful under his bed) for R12. It must be 8-10 grams of mostly flowers which, as I discovered later, were really good. It made a nice change after smoking so much hash in Kathmandu.
Sat in my room and rolled up a joint of grass. Most of the afternoon I spent reading, although I did manage to get round to having a cold shower and also do some writing before having another joint later on.
Went out at 7-00 p.m. to a restaurant called the ‘Hungry Eye’ which was only five minutes’ walk away. There are plenty around catering for the many westerners who seem to outnumber the Nepalese here. It seems like a really nice spot though, one for really relaxing and having a good time.
For my meal I had a vegetable curry & rice, an egg vegetable spring roll and a pot of tea all for R16-80, amazing value. There were a French couple there as well who gave me a couple of blows of some hash which sent me into orbit.
I moved onto another restaurant where there was some music and had a banana milk shake. The music didn’t last long as there was an electricity cut shortly after I arrived. I returned to my room shortly afterwards as there wasn’t much anyone could do and after another joint and some thinking fell asleep at 10-00 p.m.
Monday May 11th
Woke up several times before eventually getting up at 9-00 a.m., after another night of weird and wonderful dreams in which time was passing more quickly than normal (which is fast enough).
Still not feeling very well but am in a better frame of mind today. I will definitely try to make the trip to Pokhara tomorrow morning. Sat around most of the morning writing letters, one to Rita and the other to my Mother. Both were a little difficult to write because of the lack of news due to the slowness of the post between here and Europe.
The weather was pretty changeable most of the morning with a lot of thunderstorms and later on some heavy showers. Allas went into town at 11-00 a.m. but I will probably not go in until later when hopefully the rain will have subsided.
Set off at 1-30 p.m. and in between showers headed into the city and the Post Office. There were no letters waiting for me so I sent my letters off and also the next section of the diary to Jan as it may not be so easy to do in Pokhara.
I then wandered around town a little before having a meal to see how my stomach was feeling, of fried egg on toast plus a pot of tea. It tasted really good and although my stomach complained a little it seemed a lot happier again.
Also wandered around some bookshops and looked around for a pouch to hold my passport and travellers cheques as I must be a bit more careful now. Too many bad things have already affected this trip. Stopped at one bookshop where they sold money-belts for R30 so I bought one. It is quite comfortable and is fitted around my hips and I feel a lot safer with everything close to me.
I also bought an omnibus of SF stories for R30 and an International Herald Tribune to catch up on a little news. There was not so much of interest happening although there are a lot of elections going on; Britain’s council elections in which Labour did so well, here in Nepal, in France for the President and also soon in Holland (as Allas keeps reminding me).
Returned to the room at 3-30 p.m., had a joint and read for most of the afternoon, the newspaper and a few SF short stories.
About 6-00 p.m. both of us were hungry so we walked back into town to Yin & Yang where we ate well (when the food eventually arrived). I had a hamburger, chips, salad & a pot of tea, vanilla milk shake and a coke. The music was excellent so it was good that there were also people around to get us pleasantly stoned.
There were two particularly good tapes, one from the B52’s and another from Gary Numan (shame, no Talking Heads). I stayed around until 8-00 p.m. when I decided to head back to the room and maybe even get some packing done.
Lay around thinking about it for a long time but after another joint put if off until later. It will probably all get thrown in at 5-30 a.m. in the morning.
Forgot to mention that when we walked into town this evening the sky was almost completely blue with no clouds and we got our first glimpse of the snow-capped Himalayas which usually hide behind the clouds. It was a lovely sight and we stood gazing at the beauty of it for a full five minutes.
Went to sleep at 10-00 p.m.
Sunday May 10th
I woke up at 8-30 a.m. after a restless night’s sleep, disturbed by an annoying stomach ache and many really weird dreams.
At 10-00 a.m. I made an attempt to get up, went to wash myself and also had a mild attack of the shits which took away some of my stomach pain. I spent the rest of the morning lying on my bed resting and doing some writing.
This afternoon we will go to the immigration office; Allas to collect his visa extension and me to collect my trekking permit. After that we will go to the Post Office and I am hoping there will be some more post for me. It seems really weird to go to all these places on a Sunday but the official Nepalese day of rest is Saturday so that to a western mind the weekend is really mixed up.
At 2-30 p.m. Allas and I went out. I was feeling pretty wobbly, but we managed to get a few things done anyway. The weather was really beautiful, the best afternoon I’ve yet seen here. The skies were blue, it was very hot and from the central park in Kathmandu one could see the ring of mountains around the valley very clearly, with the cumulus clouds forming a beautiful contrast (although blocking out the Himalayas).
We first went to the Post Office where I sent off a couple of postcards but didn’t get any letters. If no more have arrived before tomorrow then I’ll have to wait a couple of weeks before knowing whether or rather when Rita will come to India. The post between Nepal and Europe must be quite slow.
Someone told me it can take up to two weeks each way so any news will probably be waiting for me here after I return from Pokhara. We then walked out to the immigration office where Allas got his visa alright and I was given my trekking permit.
I then split with Allas and went to the bank where I changed another DM500 Travellers Cheque at a rate of 5-25 giving me a total of NR2625 which I hope will be sufficient for the rest of my time in Nepal. I then have another DM1000 to last me the rest of my time in India (6-8 weeks).
After 5 months travelling I think that by July time I will want to return to Germany and get a few things together there before deciding on my next move. It would be very tempting to come this direction again, maybe to Goa (India) to start with so that the winter could be avoided.
Whether that is just a dream I don’t know yet. A lot will depend on how quickly I can get money together again. It also depends of course on what sort of job I go for and whether I decide to get a flat again. If so then I’d be tied down for a longer time and would have to think more in terms of the winter of 1982/83.
I’m lying on my bed at the moment feeling a little sorry for myself again because of this illness. I seem to be contracting too many bugs recently although I try to be careful about hygiene I must try and look at the bright side of things though, at least I’m not still sitting in prison like poor Stan.
Spent most of the evening sleeping and dozing and didn’t go out for anything to eat as my stomach is still rather upset. Had a couple of joints which helped the evening pass by quickly.
I eventually dropped off to sleep properly at 12-30 a.m.
Saturday May 9th
It is Election Day in Nepal and Cup Final day in England. There is no T.V. in Nepal so we won’t have a chance of seeing it live this evening.
I woke up late at 11-30 a.m. after a good night’s sleep with some really pleasant dreams towards the end. The one I can vaguely remember involved me settling down again (but definitely in England), finding a flat and discovering that I was surrounded by people I knew from Frankfurt in the flats around me.
We were really getting some good parties and things together as I woke up, a shame as I was really enjoying the dream. Everything seemed to be working out so well. I have decided to have a very lazy day today. Saturday is their rest day here. I don’t know if I’ve mentioned but the year by them is 2030.
Around midday I got out of bed, got washed and then after doing some washing lay on my bed reading and writing some letters, postcards. Had a joint at with Allas before he went out to buy a couple of things and see how the election is going. I did some reading before crashing out again at 3-00 p.m.
It was really strange but I slept then until nearly 8-00 p.m., not even having heard Allas when he came in. He was having the same problem, feeling really tired and when I went out at 8.30 p.m. he slept on feeling too lethargic to move.
I didn’t stay out long. Yin & Yang was very full so I went to two other restaurants where I had fried rice & a pot of tea and then apple pie & banana lassi. There were no people around smoking or with whom I fell into conversation with so I headed back to the room fairly quickly, feeling weak and exhausted.
Bought two bottles of beer so we could have a bottle each and celebrate Saturday night & the cup final. It was not to be. Got back and Allas was feeling very unwell. I opened one bottle of beer and we had one joint but then Allas was very sick so he decided the best thing to do was to go back to sleep.
I sat there feeling a little dazed from the joint and did some writing before laying down and reading for a while.
Went to sleep, still pretty tired, at 11-45 p.m.
Friday May 8th
Was pretty knocked out most of the day today so this entry won’t be as long as yesterday’s.
I eventually surfaced at 10-30 a.m. still feeling dazed but fairly well rested, although a lot of muscles were aching from yesterday’s exertions. Walked into town and after a lot of searching around eventually found the Central Immigration Office. I must have walked through half of Kathmandu before I found it.
Once there I filled out the form, gave it with two photos and my passport + R61 to apply for a trekking permit. I have decided to move on to Pokhara on Tuesday and from there maybe go on a short trek (up to a week) as the weather isn’t too good.
If I have the permit already I’ll be able to get things organised more quickly in Pokhara. I might still run into Andy but I think the possibility is more remote now. Including any trek I do I will stay around Pokhara for two weeks before coming back here for three or four days.
What news I then receive from Rita will influence what I do next, either east to Darjeeling (India) for a while or to Bombay (it’s a long ride). After applying for the permit I went to the Post Office but there were no letters. It gets infuriating every day to sort through all the ‘F’s’, very time-consuming as all the letters get really mixed-up and there are many which are months old.
I then went to a travel agency and booked a mini-bus ticket to Pokhara (R40) which takes six hours rather than the nine hours of the bus, which is probably a bit cheaper but I think I prefer a little more comfort. The coach leaves at 6-30 a.m. on Tuesday and I have to be there at 6-00 a.m.
I hope I am alive enough at that time of the morning to make it. If I don’t make it then I’m doomed to spend my whole four weeks in Kathmandu, which wouldn’t be so bad. This first week has simply flashed by, almost like a half-forgotten dream because of all the smoking.
After having a pot of tea and some fried eggs I then headed back to the room where I arrived at 2-30 p.m. The weather was still quite fine but I felt really tired so I smoked a joint made almost completely of hash (Allas has made up twenty of them). This really knocked me out but after a while I read some SF short stories which were really good. I had a very relaxing afternoon.
Allas came back and we smoked another joint which was really nice and knocked me out again until early evening. About 8-00 p.m. we went into town. Allas, who is putting a lot of his money on one side for his supply, went to a cheap restaurant while I went to Yin & Yang’s.
I sat there for a couple of hours and even got chatting to a couple of people there. A lot of joints were being passed around and I got really out of it, even starting to feel a little paranoid and realised how bad I am at talking and communicating with people unless they approach me (partly to do of course with being stoned).
I feel at the moment as though I am play-acting a little and that the real me is being shielded by an exterior which doesn’t show so much of me. Allas said tonight, when he heard that I was leaving, that I had been good company, quiet but good.
He had also noticed somehow that I was a little unquiet. He then said something about the way my search was going could be a lazy and good way but could also be very frustrating. I could understand what he meant and in some ways am very tempted to try some coke or smoke some ‘H’ but will resist as I am still not completely at ease with the dope situation.
Everybody else seems so straight or takes it very well and although I doubt I show it the tendency inside is to feel very nervous and unsure. That probably sounds very naïve to some people but then this trip is teaching me how naïve I still am in very many different (and sometimes unexpected) areas.
On the way back I bought our evening bottle of beer. Allas bought some peanut cookies and we headed back to the room. Was still feeling very stoned so I lay around for a while reading, thinking and later doing some writing.
Didn’t get to sleep until nearly 1-30 a.m.
Thursday May 7th
Woke up at 7-00 a.m. after some light sleep with a lot of dreams but still feeling pretty good from the speed.
At the moment I am lying in bed deciding whether to pop a couple more and take a bicycle out for at least part of the day and explore some of the Kathmandu valley. The weather seems a little unpredictable at the moment so I’ll wait another half-hour or so before deciding.
I certainly feel fuller of energy at the moment than for quite a while. Even a lot of my thinking seemed a lot straighter due to the speed last night and helped me see a few things in better perspective.
Got up at 8-00 a.m. and was ready really quickly, also dropped two more tabs which kept me going for most of the morning. I hired a bicycle at a shop nearby which charged me only 5 rupees for a day’s hire, the bike to be returned before 8-00 p.m. tonight.
The bike was sturdy and handled very well apart from the saddle which although comfortable to start with later on became very hard to ride on. I had the bike until 3-30 p.m. when the thing finally broke me. For 6 of those 7 hours I was in the saddle.
The speed really gave me a lot of energy and I tackled a lot of hills in my travels. I also noticed a great difference in my breathing which I could control well, maybe due to not smoking for a while, great feeling.
Had a really enjoyable cycle around and just headed where I felt like within the confines of the Kathmandu Valley. I saw some amazing sights which I’ll try to describe but I think this is one time when words will be unable to convey the true feeling of what became a real adventure in some sort of fairyland or wonderland.
Everything was so natural, fertile and full of a real joy of living. It is very difficult to explain all the impressions that I got today but they left me with a very fulfilled feeling. As though I had seen and taken part in an experience which very few people are allowed to take part in as it is so out of the way, so unusual.
First of all I headed south a couple of miles, across a river to the sister town of Kathmandu, Patan. It was a big contrast and the styles of the two cities vary a lot although there are of course the familiar shrines and temples. I had a good cycle around the back streets of the town where I saw some building work in progress although all residential buildings.
As with most of the buildings in Nepal they were being constructed from red brick. Also saw a big shrine, maybe some thirty feet high made of wood and bamboo like a highly conical bonfire. The whole thing was positioned on a huge cart with four big cartwheels ready for a procession sometime. The people were all giving gifts at the shrine and receiving blessings and flowers in return.
Then I headed east through the main square and along many winding back-streets. Cycling in the cities one has to ring the bell a lot and do a lot of weaving and swerving to avoid the many people, children, cows, lorries and any large piles of shit. After Patan I headed out towards Bhaktapur, the ancient capital in the east of the valley.
It was a long ride, maybe six or seven miles along a very hilly road which required a lot of stamina. As it turned out I didn’t even get to see Bhaktapur as I took a wrong turning and liked what I saw so I kept on cycling. I had actually landed up on a parallel road to the main road going back the way I had come.
This road was a ‘soft-top’ one through many small places with a lot of activity and fun centred mostly on their agricultural work and making of pots. After a long ride through many different villages, where the children shouted greetings and chased after my bike, I emerged out near the airport somewhere and had another glimpse of Nepalese ways.
The International Airport was more like an airfield and things seem very primitively organised with a lot of construction work going on. Also up near the airport were situated a golf course and barracks for a division of the Nepalese Gurkhas.
After a drink of lemon I headed off again, this time to the town of Boudha in the north-east of the valley where a couple of interesting stuppas were meant to be situated. Rode through the town and glimpsed many shrines and also two large Buddhist stuppas (or temples) with the all-seeing blue eyes.
I cycled on through the village and then decided to head further out into the valley along a pretty rough looking road. I passed through at least ten villages and there were many people working out in the fields, harvesting corn and other people in the villages thrashing the corn and sorting out the different products.
Each village had a separate identity and place along the road and they all seemed to fit together like a jigsaw pattern. Almost every area of the plain seems to be used for agriculture with very fertile ground, plenty of water for irrigation and some rich crops.
After an hour of bumping and bouncing along I reached the end of the road and got chatting to an English woman (from Bromley) whose New Zealander husband had headed up into the hills to find a waterfall. After talking for a while I decided to follow him up and have a cooling shower or wash.
I walked up innumerable steps which linked even more villages up the hillside. I met the guy lying by a small waterfall after twenty minutes. He had not reached the top but had decided this place was as good as any. I joined him and we chatted and cooled down in the shade.
After a while we walked back down the steps as clouds started to gather over the mountains. All morning the weather had been beautiful with cumulus cloud, blue skies and sun. I actually managed to burn my face and arms as the heat was quite intense.
We collected Di, the English woman, who had been relaxing by the river and then Greg, Di and I leisurely cycled back through the many villages shouting goodbye to all the children who waved to us along the way. We reached Boudha again as the rain was starting to spatter down in preparation for the afternoon’s big thundershower.
I split up from the other two and cycled back into Kathmandu as the heavens really opened. I checked in at the Post Office but there were no letters. After cycling through town I then returned the bike as I was feeling too sore to use it any further.
On returning to the room I had a very strong hash joint which I took as my reward for a good day’s cycling. It knocked me out but pleasantly and I lay on my bed relaxing and feeling quite good although very tired and with aching muscles in my legs and backside.
Allas came back after successfully reaching his father and finding out that his money will be waiting for him in Delhi. That cheered him up a lot although I get the feeling that it will now give him the excuse to blow the money he has now.
We paid our bill this evening for six nights (including tonight) and it came to the huge sum of R50 each, very reasonable. After writing my diary for a while in semi-darkness (the electricity was off again) we went out for a meal.
One of Allas’s street dealers showed us a restaurant where we ate as much of a vegetable rice dish as we could and only paid R5 each. I then went and sat in a restaurant where the music was quite good although there wasn’t much going on there.
Allas went back to the room after getting hold of a little more ‘H’ which he smoked. I had a pot of tea, apple crumble and a banana milk shake before heading back to the guest-house at 9-30 p.m. It was already starting to rain hard. I picked up a bottle of beer and some peanut cookies, which went down well later on with a couple of joints.
The rest of the evening was fairly quiet and I dropped off to sleep, knocked out by the hash, at 12-30 a.m.
Wednesday May 6th
Woke up once at dawn as it was raining very heavily and then again later at 8-00 a.m.
The weather is miserable, overcast and cloudy, although I’m still going to see the Monkey Temple called Swayamblunath today. It is said to be 2000 years old, one of the world’s oldest Buddhist stupas and is situated two miles outside of town on a small hill 250 feet above the level of the valley. It should be an interesting morning’s excursion.
After a small joint to set me up for the day I set out at 10-00 a.m. First had breakfast in a health food shop of tea & toast + toast & peanut butter, quite tasty although it didn’t really fill the gap. I then set to walking the road out towards the Monkey Temple.
The road was surfaced and led me up through little villages where the people were carrying on their own lives very happily, oblivious to the intrusion of tourists. I felt a little funny walking around in my cotton trousers and shirt. A little like an imposter amongst so many people with such ancient traditions.
It was quite a long walk and difficult at times (with long winding steps up the hillside) but it was all very interesting and I had a great time breathing in the atmosphere and feeling free for a while.
Eventually I reached the top of the hill where there were many shrines and also the massive dome of the Monkey Temple topped by a square with the all-seeing eyes of Buddha and then a golden spire.
The whole place felt really old and looked very time-worn, which lent quite a religious atmosphere to the place as I wandered around the different shrines. A fascinating place to see (especially stoned, it gives you some great ideas on the significance that all the religion in Nepal must have on the people’s lives).
After leaving the temple I stopped in a small restaurant to have a lemon drink. I was the only westerner in there and my company was a table of the local lads playing cards. It was a very intricate game, involving some money, which I found very difficult to follow.
I then walked down the hill and started to find my way back to the guest-house. On the way I stopped at the National Museum which proved to be quite interesting. It cost the grand sum of 25 paise to go in, which included entrance to three different buildings; the Art Gallery, a shrine to King Mehandra and a children’s gallery where they had a lot of stuffed animals.
The only section not open was the main museum which was a shame as that would have been good to see. The shrine to the former king was very ornate and a fascinating tribute to the man who brought Nepal into the world of today.
His political system still exists and there are elections coming up on Saturday 9th for which there is a lot of campaigning going on. However, since 1960 this voting is all a bit of a farce. The King decided that trying to introduce a system of democracy was causing too many problems for the country so he introduced the nominal or partial democratic system which still exists today.
I got back to the room after an exhilarating morning. Felt quite good but as the afternoon wore on and the thunder storms returned it needed a couple of joints and a therapeutic writing session to keep that good feeling going.
Allas has got some money from the saris and will get the rest tonight. He has lost a little money on their sale but has some cash again. Mind you he finished his morphine this morning and bought some heroin, which he has just shot. I imagine that whenever he has money it slips through his fingers all the time like I’m witnessing at the moment.
Now that Allas and I go our separate ways a little the atmosphere between us seems to be a lot better. Mid-afternoon we had a cigarette with some opium which relaxed me a lot and made me feel very good. I spent the rest of the afternoon lying on my bed thinking things out and reading a book by Michael Moorcock called The Black Corridor.
We went into town at 7.30 p.m. The roads were again very muddy from the afternoon’s rain. First went to Yin & Yang which was already very crowded when we arrived so we just had a meal. I had a tomato salad, vegetable spring roll and a pot of tea.
Allas then went off to get some morphine (R60 for a gram) and I went and sat in a pie-shop for a while. Later on I headed back for the room, buying my normal bottle of beer on the way. Allas had his morphine alright and was a little happier.
I decided to take some speed to liven my evening up. Took 3 tabs of Dexedrine which made me feel more alive later on and I did a lot of reading and some writing. Didn’t go to sleep until quite late, after reading a book called City of Illusions by Ursula K LeGuin. It is quite easy to get into the fantasy-world of these books whilst stoned or speeding.
Tuesday May 5th
Woke up at 8-30 a.m. after a restless night’s sleep and got up almost straight away.
I went into town on my own which made a nice change. I could walk at my own pace again and do things that I wanted to do. Allas will leave the keys at the reception so that whoever gets back first can get back into the room. The weather was beautiful with a clear blue sky and very hot although it clouded over again later on, after midday.
Spent most of the morning going round shops trying to sell my gems, without much luck. None of them were even interested in quoting me prices as they all claimed to have large enough stocks of stones already. I was also advised that the stones I have are not top quality, which I had already anticipated.
I think I’ll just hang onto them and maybe have a couple of larger ones set later on. We’ll see how the money situation is before I leave Nepal. Also went to the post-office where I posted some cards & letters for myself & Allas. I then went for breakfast at a nice little restaurant called the ‘Tibetan Eattery’ on Freak Street where I had a pot of tea, fried eggs on toast and peanut butter on toast.
There are really no problems living and eating in Nepal cheaply. After eating I wandered around some of the streets to the north of the town which are much narrower, filthier and crowded but also with a lot more character. There are a huge variety of things to buy although a lot is aimed at the tourist market.
Nepal also has many more western-type goods than India because they do some importing of foreign cars, for instance, whereas India imposes such heavy import taxes it is normally impracticable to sell western products there. It is quite an anomaly in that Nepal is a much more primitive civilisation with many more backward ways than India but it has opened its doors in recent years much more than India to western goods.
It strikes a funny chord to see a Nepalese lad walking down the street with a walkman cassette player as I saw this morning. I hope they manage to maintain a balance here otherwise in another ten years the place will have been overwhelmed by the influx of western influences. I’m sure people that first came here ten years ago are convinced that this has already happened.
I stopped at one clothes-shop and had a look at some trousers and shirts and bought one of each; black cotton baggy trousers with tie-ups at the ankles and waist + side pockets (R30) and a greyish long-sleeved collarless shirt with side pockets (R30).
After this purchase I headed back to the room, collected the keys from reception and then sat around writing and relaxing for a while. The weather is really clouding over again, no doubt getting ready for more showers this afternoon.
Had a couple of joints during the afternoon and then made a special one of grass & hash when Allas came back from an H-smoking session. He was well on form talking again but at least I was feeling better able to take notice and even listen a little.
I had a really cold shower at 5-30 p.m. which was very enjoyable and brought me round a little. I changed into my new trousers and shirt which made me feel rather self-conscious. They feel a little like pyjamas but I’ll wear them anyway I think.
We went out at 6-30 p.m. and headed into town where we went to a restaurant called ‘Yin & Yang’ where we had been before. Everybody sits on different levels at small tables in a sort of semi-circle. I stayed there the whole evening while Allas left at 7-30 p.m. to go and smoke some more ‘H’ and also to see whether three saris he is trying to sell have been sold yet.
I had a good meal of rice, vegetable curry and throughout the evening had a pot of tea, vanilla milk shake and a hot lemon. I also had a lot to smoke, various forms of hash from different sources on which I got really out of my head.
The young Danish couple and a couple of Swedish guys we had met came in during the evening and I talked to them for a while but most of the time I just sat there watching people (everyone in the restaurant was stoned) and listening to the music (a real mixture of different styles).
I can’t think of any place I’ve been to where smoking dope is done so openly (and cheaply). The only close comparisons I can think of are some of the bars in Amsterdam. Here though it is so open that Kathmandu must rate very high in the rankings of ‘great places to get stoned in’.
Left the restaurant at 10-15 p.m. a little wobbly-kneed but still under fairly good control. Then walked back to the room, bought a bottle of beer along the way which I drunk with Allas later on.
I went to sleep at 11-30 p.m. still thinking a lot. My mind was feeling exhausted after a pretty heavy day’s use of the mental processes.
Monday May 4th
I woke at 8-00 a.m. after a really good night’s sleep.
It is certainly much easier to sleep in this climate and there are hardly any mosquitoes, which is a great relief. The weather was really nice, hot and sunny for most of the morning. There seems to be a pattern here at the moment, sunny in the morning then from midday it starts to cloud over and the thunderstorms take over for the afternoon.
Allas and I walked over the bridge into town at 9-00 a.m. and had a good wander around the streets which take on a different aspect in the sun. Nepal is a country of very different styles and way of life (compared with somewhere like India) and Kathmandu seems to typify a lot of those differences.
Although the Nepalese are obviously still a poor people they seem to live happily and are not pushy or nosey as the Indians are. They carry on their lives as though it was still twenty years ago and there were no westerners around. You don’t know how refreshing that is after a couple of weeks in India.
After going to the bank where Allas changed some money we located the post-office where I bought some aerogrammes and also collected two letters from Rita and a note from Andy. The letters from Rita had been re-directed from Malaysia so she hasn’t said whether she can come to India as yet.
The note from Andy was dated Thurs (30th) last week when he left Kathmandu and headed for the village of Pokhara which is 200 kms away. I may go there later on but I think we may miss each other now unless he comes back to Kathmandu while I’m still here.
At 10-30 a.m. we had breakfast. I had muesli, fruit, milk and a pot of tea. After that we went our separate ways and I wandered about for an hour or so doing some shopping, looking down some of the back-streets and at the many shrines and temples which are all over the city.
I really like the atmosphere in the little cafes and pie-shops and would sit there for hours (especially when stoned) just listening to the music, watching people and eating different pies or snacks and a drink.
Went back to the room at 1-30 p.m. as the weather was turning miserable again and spent the rest of the afternoon writing and having a couple of joints. I wrote an aerogramme to Rita, several postcards and also got the next edition of the diary packed with a note ready to send off to Jan. Will post everything tomorrow morning when I go to the post-office again.
Am also going to try and sell my gems to a jewellery shop tomorrow although I’m not as confident as I was whether I’ll make a profit or not. Even if I get my money back though I’ll be quite happy as it will give me some more Nepalese money. If the price isn’t right though I’ll probably get a couple of stones set as that is very cheap here and then take everything back with me to Germany where I’m sure to make some money.
After having another joint we went out at 7-30 p.m. in the right frame of mind to face the big city again. Had a really interesting walk and was a little more aware of things, especially the puddles of mud caused by the afternoon’s rain which splattered the warm clothes I was wearing with mud.
Was a little more at ease with Allas tonight. I think I’m learning to take him for what he is a bit more now, and can therefore accept his eccentricities better. He is proving quite good company although he does most of the talking and I have become very quiet and subdued, following him around like a sheepdog listening to his many different stories.
He also has a great love for walking into shops, asking prices of many different things and then after a long time walking out without buying anything. Quite interesting to watch but I’m not really in the right frame of mind, especially when stoned. I’d prefer to go and sit in a restaurant and listen to some good music.
After wandering around some stalls and shop fronts we were guided by a young Nepalese guy to a local restaurant which was a popular place to eat (for the Nepalese). I had chicken masala, chapattis and a tea for R9-50 which was really cheap and tasty as well.
During the course of the evening we went to a couple more restaurants but didn’t stay long as Allas was eager to look at more shops and spend more money. I shouldn’t really criticise but the guy has so little money but can still afford to splash out on souvenirs all the time. It is a different mentality from mine so I find it very difficult to relate to.
We headed back to our guest-house at 9-30 p.m. and on the way I bought a bottle of beer and Allas bought some bread, butter and jam for later on. Got back to the room and smoked another joint of grass (very pleasant) and then sat around talking (or rather Allas talked, I listened), drinking the beer and then writing for a while.
Had one more joint later on, this made with Nepalese hash, which really knocked me out. Went to sleep at 11-00 p.m.
Sunday May 3rd
Slept with a cover last night which kept me quite warm although the temperature is fairly cool.
Last night I wore a long-sleeved sweatshirt with jeans rather than the cotton slacks and T-shirts I had got used to wearing. We were woken up this morning after a really good night’s sleep at 11-00 a.m. as they wanted to fix a meter in the electricity box.
Still feeling tired but a lot more rested, I had a shower, then we drank a tea before going out. Well that was our intention but we got delayed by a young lad from the hotel who came into the room and wanted to smoke a joint with us. So I rolled one up and we put off going into the town until later on.
We eventually walked in at around midday with the weather turning really miserable. Drizzle persisted most of the day and turned to heavy rain and thunderstorms later on in the afternoon. Walking in today we were able to orientate ourselves a little better.
We stopped at a pie shop, many of the ones opened for the western tastes in and around Freak Street. They are really good places for the munchies and also to get a smoke when needed. We sat and had some apple pie, bread and tea. While we were there a Nepalese guy came in with a large lump of Nepalese hash. He rolled up a joint and gave it round to the western people there.
This is a place where smoking is just accepted although in some restaurants there are ‘no smoking’ (hash) signs it seems to be very widespread. Later on we met the young Danish couple with whom we went to another restaurant and had a cold lassi.
We sat around in the restaurant for a while chatting and listening to the music. It is really great to hear some western music in some of these places. Kathmandu is certainly adapting to the influx of young westerners which has only taken place