hello all,
well im just into my second week feels like ive been here a lifetime already, its been really a tough test of my strength and courage, i guess i knew deep down it wouldnt be a walk in the park but its been soooo diverse i cant actually believe whats gone on, on my journey, it started off really shitty, arrived as riots kicked off in centre of mumbai so i couldnt get to the centre so little old me got ripped off paid for a hotel and bus ticket to Goa it cost near on 50 quid( nearly a weeks budget!!!!)
i got sick on the bus and they wouldnt stop it straight the way, i got touched up by a pervy indian man and then they dropped me off in touristic goa, i wanted to go to hippy ville up north but hey ho i dealt with it and in the end hadda brilliant time in callengute, the beaches were beautiful, the place was full of butterflies, the vibe was mellow and i made sooo many friends, got to play my guitar in the hotel i was staying at got free food, sold a couple of cds to pay for room!! met other back packers and one girl doing it alone, she gave me some more confidence that i Can do this cos i tell thee i was thinking of bailing out within a day of arriving here, i also met a yoga instructor who has inspired me to go to a spirtual yoga and meditation ashram in the very south of india, kerala (just booked a weeks course for 16th nov!)
india is a very diverse country, its sooo colourful and beautiful yet dirty and some of the the men are sooooo creepy, its a nightmere sitting on the beach in a bikinni they all slyly take pictures of you!!!
I toured the north and south of goa but left a couple of places out as not to do everything at once!! i ended up in a wonderful fishing town, Colva on sunday night, felt right at home there, it was idyllic, less touristy and the gigs i got were spot on, i played at 2 different bars last night got paid 200 ruppes (2 quid!big money!!) for one and drank a bottle of wine and had veg rice (my basic diet!!) all on the house and sold a few cd's im sooo chuffed, got free beers and got offered a job with the other one for the whole season with free accomadation and food and drinks! cant be bad, tempted but i think not!! ill just go visit a couple more days and play again before i leave for the north i met some really talented musicians who really suppoerted me with all their friends, i felt so special, all the customers in the 2nd bar which was rammed stood up when id finished, everyone wanted my photograph, (it was like i was famous this time not being perved on!!) it was funny trying to get them to understand the concept of the bahs in my sheep song, so might have to knock that on the head unless theres english around, got a few contacts for other bars in other states,so as you can tell my sunflower tour of india is going good!! my cds are all left at each bar and ive sold many! happy days! also wrote a song already!!
so anyways had a wkd night all in all, stayed up till 6 with friends but just as the times were going sooo well the shit had to hit the fan didnt it i got mugged walking home (dont want to worry you mum!!) i was only 2 mins away from the hotel so i thought i was safe, the bar manger heard my screams and saved me from anymore traumer!! its only money that they took and as far as i was concerned they could have it, Karmas gonna get em!! id kept everything else in my room thankgod, but id just changed 100 squid so they had it all !! im yet to try my bank card out here so that'll probably be my next bloody nightmere!! today after my horrid experience i experienced my first train journey from hell, bloody hell it was like something out of a horror movie, men withno legs begging and stuff, i knew this is what i was going to get but when its actually in ya face its another story, id met a german guy the day before that was on the same train so i felt safe enuff, he's offered to be my travelling partner(think he feels sorry for me with my shitty times!!) i slept the whole journey and arrived at this spiritual amazingly beautiful Hampi, i will email pictures soon!! this is the kind of place dreams are made of, this is historical indian, im fascinated and also its diwali and the celebrations are kicking off in abundane, its mesmorising, the fireworks the blessings, the shrine, the food, its the festival of light so theyve decorated everything. im staying with a indian family, they are soooo lovely just watched fireworks with them over these amazing ruins, its just soooooooooo amazing i cant do it justice with words.
so the journey takes another turn for the better, i cant wait to explore tomorrow, going to hire a bike and be like easy rider.
this is a beautiful path with the odd bump (BIG BLOODY DITCH) in the road, i guess it was to be expected but what dont kill ya and all that!!
hope everyones well, full of love and sunflower power, miss ya all
bye for now,
namaste'
paula xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
