25: Panjim and Conclusion
Church of Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception |
Our journey back to Hong Kong, while not as precarious as a trip on a tall ship back to Lisbon, was still set to be quite an ordeal. We would be flying from Goa to Mumbai, before making our way between the domestic and international terminals (as we just about managed to do when going from Aurangabad to Hyderabad), then getting on a plane to Hong Kong that would go via Delhi. Goa Airport is about the most grim airport that I have ever visited (though a brand new terminal appears to be about to open) and our first flight was delayed by half an hour - potentially increasing the time pressure on our connection in Mumbai. Upon arrival, we made our way as quickly as possible to the international terminal, only to find that our flight to Hong Kong had been totally cancelled. As it happened however, this turned out to be quite a bonus as Air India (who had been superb throughout the trip) had put us on a direct flight with Cathay that would depart five hours later. This second flight turned out to be almost empty and myself and Sergei both had a full aisle to ourselves - allowing us to sleep lying down for the whole journey. The ultimate blessing in disguise.
Mumbai clothes washing district |
Amazing Hampi |
Everyone wants a photo |
The Gateway of India - Britain’s stamp on Mumbai |
Train travel in India |
- Accommodation: £15 per person per night
- Food: £5-10 per day
- Transport (excluding internal flights): £5-10 per day
- Other (entrance fees etc): £5 per day
All things considered, therefore, we probably spent between £30-40 per day and I have no doubt that it would be possible to get by on £10-15 per day for a backpacker willing to travel slower, eat more street food and stay in non-aircon dorm rooms. After taking slightly longer to acclimatise than I am used to, our biggest challenge was deciding how best to get around from city to city. The ideal choice would have been by overnight train, but as we were travelling in peak season this would have needed us to book the tickets weeks in advance - which would have cost us a lot of flexibility. We therefore were faced with the choice of quick, expensive flights or slow and uncomfortable (but cheap) sleeper buses. Having been pretty apprehensive about taking the latter at first, I have to say that they were nowhere near as bad as I had assumed and I wouldn’t mind taking them if I returned. Their major advantage is that tickets can be purchased on the day more often that not, allowing a great deal of flexibility.
The four weeks spent in India enabled us to do a reasonable job of visiting the south, but even so I would have loved to have spent more time in Kerala and to visit the east coast around Chennai. I know that there is even more to see in the north and that another four weeks still wouldn’t be enough to do the country justice. As a result, I’m sure I will be back. To conclude, after discussing with Sergei, we thought we would finish with a list of the best moments. So here goes:
- Best Restaurant: Khyber, Mumbai - probably the most exclusive restaurant that we visited, apparently frequented by businessmen and diplomats, but with a curry and a beer costing less than £10 it was (while very expensive by Indian standards). www.khyberrestaurant.com
- Best Hotel: Hotel Malligi, Hospet - while staying in Hampi itself would have been more convenient for exploring the ruins, staying in Hospet allowed us to stay in a hotel with a great restaurant and a pool which was the perfect place to cool off after a day of exploring. www.malligihotels.com
- Best Journey: Alleppey to Munnar - the return journey was slow and congested, but getting up early to visit our first hill station took up through terrain unlike any that we had seen earlier in our trip - from waterfalls and mountains to reservoirs and tea plantations.
- Best Day: Day 11, Hampi - our first day in Hampi had allowed us to get our bearings so that on the second day we could travel around at a leisurely pace on bicycles with a group of other backpackers from all over the world. Cycling through the ruins was the best way of seeing them and sitting drinking lhassis in the bazaar with a good book while waiting for the beautiful sunset was the best way to spend an afternoon. I even got to see a monkey steal Sergei’s chocolate bar.
- Best Experience(s): Keralan Backwaters and Massage - Kerala was a wonderful place to spend a few days and travelling through the backwaters on a boat was an unforgettably peaceful experience. After getting back on dry land in the afternoon we were treated to another unforgettable (though not particularly peaceful) experience in the traditional oil message parlour. Being dressed in a loin cloth, getting covered in hot oil and then being manhandled around a wooden table was as memorable as it was undignified
1. Hampi - a laidback backpacker ghetto surrounded by a unique, boulder strewn landscape and the ruins of what was once the second largest city on earth? Absolutely unmissable and in many ways worth a trip to India in its own right.
Hampi Bazaar |
2. Kerala - a very close second and a place that definitely needed longer. A state that ranges from the sedate backwaters, to beautiful beaches, to the vibrant port of Kochi, to the dramatic hill station at Munnar. Four days just was not enough time.
The Backwaters of Kerala |
3. Goa - I must admit that I arrived in Goa expecting it to be little more than an Indian Benidorm. I was very pleasantly surprised however to find a great blend of perfect beaches, great food and interesting culture. We were perhaps lucky to arrive just at the end of the season when it was a bit quieter - I can imagine it wouldn’t be as nice in high season.
Sunset in Goa |
I hope that this does the trip some kind of justice and also that this is not my last ever blog about India. Thanks for reading.
0 comments