Around The World In 60 Days

Delhi - India

2007-08-13T02:57:00.000-07:00

Delhi has better public security than London !
Your bag and you are checked by security staff probably at every subway metro station entrance. My bag was checked even at Pizza Hut entrance :)
Maybe because of bloody terrorist attacks in Delhi two years ago.

Qutb Minar Complex - UNESCO World Heritage Site:

Asia's largest computer hardware market:

IT shops are located on all floors of these buildings
packed by PCs, gadgets and people.
Last couple of days I tried to bargain for some souvenirs at Indian bazaars, it's very difficult.
Theoretically the real price is one third of price that the merchand asks for.
But I didn't get better than a half at the end.

Tomorrow morning I am flying to London after 60 days travelling and I am definitely different person returning.

New Delhi, Agra - India

2007-08-10T01:42:00.000-07:00

I took the train from Chennai to New Delhi(part of the city - Delhi)
The journey took 36 hours, but in air-conditioned sleeper car with one fellow passanger it was quite comfortable.
And as everything in India, the ticket was very cheap(2100 Km for 50US$). I got accomodation in large room with white marble floor, air conditioning, attached bathroom, cable TV and possible food delivery to the room for 12 US$ per day or lunch at the restaurant costs less than 2 US$.

Main bazaar:

turn right from this effective chaos and after few metres you will find my hotel.

But it is not so easy time here in New Delhi. Every ten metres someone approches you on the street with saying "Hallo Sir." "How are you." "Which country?" "Where are you from?" "First time in India?" (Don't answer Yes after the last question otherwise hunting on naive tourist begins : )
The scheme is the same, after couple of sentences I realize that the person wants to take me to his shop, show me some jewellery, souvenirs, tourist tours. Or they want to offer a hotel accommodation, taxi, auto-rickshaw, cycle-rickshaw. After couple of days it begins to be annoying and I am becoming rude and ignorant as other tourists. I do believe that there are Indian people who really just want to speak with you and know you (I have met some) but 99 % of people who approach you are touts or beggars.
It is specially bad on famous tourist places as Taj Mahal.

After tight security
(they deposit my cookies and magazine New Scientist :) and didn't notice Swiss army knife in my backpack)
you see huge mausolem made of white marble and it's experience to walk inside barefooted and touch the stone.

Sometimes tout can enter even your sight-seeing bus. One guy approched me sitting in the bus saying that other people are going to a different place and he will arrange small transport for me to see Taj Mahal and Agra and then buy me a train ticket back to Delhi. This all is included in my already paid tour fee. He took me to an autorickshaw, tour guide person saw it and didn't say any single word. When we arrived to a jewellery shop to book a train ticket I realized that this is a scam. (I've read some India info on the Internet before) Shouting helped, they took me to a next place where my bus should have parked. Thanks God I memorized my bus vehicle number otherwise it would be hard time to find my bus in Agra between many others. Your tour guide can offer to buy a ticket for you, special price 300 rupees instead of 750 ruppes as an entrance for Non-Indians. Normal entrance is 250 but we passed the entrance without buying a ticket yesterday :)
I joined group of 3 Indian IT guys from Bangalore (photos maybe later) in Taj Mahal so they protected me from those artists of scam for a while.

Taj Mahal Roses:

Agra Fort:

On the way back we visited the temple and the birthplace of Lord Krishna.
It was 8pm but still many people there praying and singing.
There are nice colourful and embossed Hindu paintings inside the temple but no photos were allowed and security is very tight as in Taj Mahal.

Chennai - India

2007-08-05T01:57:00.001-07:00

It looks like India is Level 2 for backpackers.
There are no supermarkets, no western style fastfoods, lots of people everywhere, no waste bins, tourist office doesn't have a city maps and there is only one public transport if you don't want to study the bus routes system and hang off outside of the bus while in motion:
- autorickshaw:

but those guys have no fear of death and generally
the roads are crowded mostly by autorickshaws and motorbikes
who do not respect any rules or even road lanes.

Sorry there is one rule:
If you approach other vehicle or pedestrians crossing dangerously and unexpectedly always hoot the car horn, so you hear hooting all the time.

local Egmore train station:

in front of Chennai Gouvernment Museum:

stop at Hinduism temple during sightseeing tour:

Me, Pranab (medicine student from Kolkata), and his family(father is doing the photo) :

I met these people in the sightseeing bus.
They were very nice and friendly.

They introduced me to Hindu temple ritual.
We went barefooted(see photo above) from the bus parkplace to the temple, I bought an offer in front of the temple (coconut, banas and flowers), gave it to the monk inside the temple, he took my name and offer and went to a small room to pray, then I received these flowers with dust:

in my right hand and went to walk around god statues three times.

There is a nice long sandy beach area (Marina beach) in Chennai, many people there, but not swimming because of strong water currents.

Singapore

2007-08-01T05:13:00.000-07:00

Various temples in Singapore:

World's largest fountain - Fountain Of Wealth:

Orientation is easy in city with such building landmarks:

I was here :)

Almost everything is banned in Singapore:
porn, drugs, overhead wires, satellite dishes, standing water, freestanding billboards, malaysian newspapers, feeding pigeons, oral sex (except as foreplay), homosexual activity, jay-walking, spitting, littering, drinking and eating on public transport.

Singapore

2007-07-31T02:42:00.000-07:00

I landed in Singapore yesterday.
I feel like in a Western Europe city, no poverty and chaos on the streets.
There are large shopping malls almost everewhere near my hostel on North Bridge Road.
I don't like shopping and shops but yesterday I spent more than 2 hours walking there.
They have quite competitive prices. I saw lots of cheap computer books. (A pity that I am not travelling by car.)
Multiple shopping houses are connected and covered by glass and tunnels and air-conditioned.
Food in budget asian restaurants is also quite cheep (1 US dollar for chicken curry)

And it's relief from Bangkok hot summer.
Only 27 degrees here. I don't know what season is here because on the Equator aren't seasons.

Bangkok - Thailand

2007-07-31T01:18:00.000-07:00

Bangkok is 'Krung Thep - City of Angels' (A. are maybe ordinary people). But devils are next to them. I spent one week in a hostel in Sukhumvit area. Very narrow streets filled with salesmen of everything, specially every 15 meters someone from a black widowed shop offers you a "massage" even in the daylight.

I joined friends from hostel for couple of nights and we went to
GoGo bars(there were also some girs in our hostel group :), pubs and loud nightclubs.
I am innocent. First mandatory night was guided by the hostel owner and staff :)

It was quite a bit different experience after decent hostel barbeque and birthday parties in hostels in New Zealand and Australia :)

Beer or drink cost me in Bangkok bars from 80 - 200 baht (2.6 - 6.7 US$).
The minimum wage in Thailand was 175 baht per day(year 2005).

Grand Palace and Temples Bangkok - Thailand

2007-07-27T05:50:00.000-07:00

Reclining Budha (around 15 meters high):

This Budha monument fills 80 % of the temple where it is located.

There is place to walk around, burn oriental sticks and candles and give a small coin gift.

You have to take off your shoes, cannot wear shorts and somewhere photos are not allowed.

Ayutthaya - Thailand

2007-07-26T00:52:00.000-07:00

Some photos from old former capital city of Thailand.
Guided tour took us to couple of temples, town ruins and the Kings Palace(no photo because of battery strike).

small statues:

Statue high around 15 metres:

Bangkok - Thailand

2007-07-24T01:55:00.001-07:00

Yesterday around midnight I arrived to Bangkok.
First impression if horrible hot and wet weather(34 degrees), but
better than cold :)
People smile a lot, when I speak to them, there is bad traffic on the streets
tuk-tuk(pict.) looks like the second most dangerous transport mean after motorcycle taxi.
Around 5 km long journey in tuk-tuk cost me 0.6 US$, taxis (all have to be air conditioned) are more expensive(3 US$).

And a big problem I see, that Thai alphabet is different and although they name the streets in Thai and in English as well, it is almost impossible to find out where are you located even with the map in your hand, because one street can have multiple names and every map uses different.

Sydney - Australia

2007-07-22T01:15:00.000-07:00

I went 4 times to Hyde Park to eat my morning sandwich and 3 of 4 mornings this guy came to walk around my park bench:

Some audio from Australian Museum:
(museum guide playing live Didgeridoo, it was too dark environment to make a video)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jcGuPagTfdU

and illustration video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9g592I-p-dc

Sydney - Australia

2007-07-21T02:20:00.000-07:00

Monorail:

Sydney Opera House:

Harbour Bridge, background:

Watsons Bay:

Sydney, Blue Mountains - Australia

2007-07-19T03:02:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I went to the Bondi beach and I definitely have to go here in the summer to learn to surf. Massive waves, noise and smell of the sea everywhere, great.

Today I bought organised guided 1 day tour to The Blue Mountains.
Yes, I know, hardcore backpackers never do it.

It was quite good value because I sat in the front of our 10 seat minibus and I also got driving lesson from our guide, former truck driver.
Now I know how to drive in the peak hours traffic jam and reduce the driving time to a half.

We had a stop at Sydney Olympic Park,
Sydney Olympic Stadium:

One of many solar systems installed in Sydney Olympic Park:

Our guide said that there is also a rain water collection system on the roof of the stadium and they use the collected water to supply the park and the athletes village as well.

Stop at Blue Mountains park area and one of the wild kangaroos:

Blue Mountains:

Three Sisters:

check the story behind Three Sisters

http://www.bluemts.com.au/tourist/thingsToDo/threeSisters.asp
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Three_Sisters_(Australia)

Real Three Sisters:

Real Three Sisters and me:
(I asked our truck driver to make this tourist photo for me, but never do again. Look at that horrible smile :)

World Steepest railway:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Katoomba_Scenic_Railway

Sydney - Australia

2007-07-17T19:31:00.000-07:00

It's nice shiny weather here in Sydney (around 15 deg.) and some people wear T - shirts and shorts.

Cars drive on the left side of the road as in New Zealand and you can see subway train just above your head :) in the middle of the downtown street.

You can buy 20 minutes of Internet for 2$ and when you go 200 metres, on the same street you find another Internet Cafe with the same computer and Internet for 2$ for unlimited access.

Rotorua, Waiotapu - New Zealand

2007-07-15T05:24:00.000-07:00

For last 2 days in NZ I went to small city Rotorua, which is around 4 hours by bus to the east.

Geothermal natural park Waiotapu is 27 km from the city:

devil's ink pots:

Champagne pool:

devil's pool:

Lady Knox Geyser:

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=Wu1ovmqHqFU

Tango Session - Argentina

2007-07-13T03:34:00.000-07:00

Some received photos from Buenos Aires Tango happening
(copyright reserved)

professional:

almost professional:

Rangitoto island - New Zealand

2007-07-13T02:12:00.000-07:00

Rangito island wilderness only 30 min by ferry from Auckland

600 years old lava everywhere:

from the summit:

Auckland - New Zealand

2007-07-12T15:30:00.000-07:00

Auckland's downtown Queen Street is paradise for backpackers.
I think there are at least ten big multifloor hostel buildings and everywhere are restaurants, backpacker travel agencies, shops, pubs, fastfoods.

I went to Auckland museum located in the centre of Domain park.
My new antitheft camera had problems in dark interier so dark photos.

Canoe (real size)

War Canoe (real size)

Airplane ZERO (real size)

Auckland - New Zealand

2007-07-10T14:40:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was the first ugly rainy day since I started in Sao Paulo on 15 June.
So I spent the day mostly at the hostel trying to get some information from tons of free booklets, prospects a presentations of NZ information, adventure trips, bus routes, canyoning, cave exploring, sailing, diving...

It's a little bit shock to come from South America and see not so many people in the towncentre, so much tourist information, organized semaphore roads and so high prices.

Auckland - New Zealand

2007-07-09T18:54:00.000-07:00

I took the plane on 7/7/ at 23:00 from Santiago and landed on 9/7 at 3:00 in Auckland.
Quite long flight, they said it should take around 12 hours :) .

That economy airplane seat and 8 hours time difference is quite bad. Yesterday I was the first that saw sunrise on 9 July, then I went to see the town centre, ordered coffee instead of (I wanted to say) tea, I said gracias instead of thanks everywhere, I got confused in the city because of driving on the left-hand side of the road and at 6pm it was enough to go to bed.

Valparaíso - Chile

2007-07-06T16:46:00.000-07:00

Valparaíso - UNESCO World Heritage Site

Funicular, one of many still working (ride 0,2 US$)

Valparaíso is a relatively small and attractive city.
And the hostels are not so crowded by tourists as in Santiago.
I spent 3 nights(3x8 US$) in empty large colonial house hostel.

Today I took the train to the city of Viña del Mar, but there is nothing to see if you are not the fan of shopping malls and large casinos.

Tomorrow I am going to leave Latin America, flying to New Zealand.
From tomorrow only English language !!!

Valparaíso - Chile

2007-07-05T16:04:00.000-07:00

I took the bus (6 US dollars) and after more than two hours we´ve come to Valparaíso (political and cultural city, seaport as well) on the coastline.

National Congress:

Job on the street:

British Imperium memory:

Santiago de Chile - Chile

2007-07-05T15:12:00.000-07:00

These are the first pictures made by my new super camera Vivitar ViviCAM 3805.

Metropolitan Cathedral is the left building:

There are statues and monuments of generals and marshals everywhere in Santiago. Even on money notes. And you can meet soldiers or policemen(I don´t know, they wear the typical green uniforms as those of soldiers in former communist east block countries) everywhere too.

Palacio de La Moneda:

Streets in Bellavista

Statue of the Blessed Virgin Mary(donated by France) at the peak of Cerro San Cristóbal hill

and the sight from the hill

There is a lot of smog above Santiago and the problem is that the atmosphere has been absolutely static without the wind for the last couple of days since i have been here and Santiago is surrounded by hills everywhere.

Santiago de Chile - Chile

2007-07-02T15:57:00.000-07:00

It´s very difficult to travel in South America alone without Spanish language.

Yesterday I met thieves again :) But at this time I almost robbed them.

It was 6pm, I was sitting in the park, looking into the map (again) and two teenagers came to me to rob me of a watch or a mobile phone.

I got quite angry so I started screaming something on them. And it helped, it would be easy to rob them :), but i rather walked away. I hope I will improve and in India I will rob with no problem.

NOTE: Never read the map on the street and wear dark old clothes to not look as tourist, when travelling in South America.

Santiago is very European city too, and there is minimum of skyscrapers i have seen. All the buildings have mostly 2-3 floors and some of them have colorful frontage as in Buenos Aires. There is a nice long park in the towncentre near the river. Everything is very cheap as in Buenos Aires. For ex. a bottle of wine costs in BA around 1 US dollar, in Santiago little bit more.

Santiago de Chile - Chile

2007-07-01T12:24:00.000-07:00

Chile gave me chilli invitation.
There was foggy and very cold yesterday when came here.
First thing I have to buy a sweater today.

I took an acomodation in Ecohostel.
Everything was fine, until I realized that they do not heat the rooms.
And it is quite cold (around 4´ night, 14´ day) in the night here. I went to other hostel and it is the same, so interesting standard here. And it is not the cheapest accomodation.

I will return to that great third floor overheated Buenos Aires hostel room:

I bought the cheapest and crapiest digital camera (for future thieves :), so later I will put some photos.

Buenos Aires - Argentina

2007-07-01T11:50:00.001-07:00

Yes, I have seen real Buenos Aires Tango show!

I went with great friends from hostel to a restaurant at Plaza Dorrego on Friday.
The dancers performed three styles of Latin American dance with some public Tango lessons at the end :) .

Maybe I will put some photos on the blog, if my friends provide me with some.

I definitely have to return to Argentina sometimes, because I haven´t seen Patagonia, eaten typical Argentinian steak or learned Spanish or Tango here.

Buenos Aires - Argentina

2007-06-29T08:40:00.000-07:00

Qantas reissued new flight tickets for me, so I can travel to Chile tomorrow.

Buenos Aires is very European city with typical European architecture, streets, people and there is not so bad trafic as in Sao Paulo.
People dress well and city cafes are full.
(sorry no photos because of camera theft)

There is a lot of turists in B.A. and (world is small) I met three girls at the hostel and they are from the same county in the UK where I live at the moment. There are also Americans, Australians, Belgian, Brazil, German people at the hostel.
Most of them travel or intend to travel around Latin America for couple of months.

Buenos Aires - Argentina

2007-06-28T08:22:00.000-07:00

Many thanks to my father and sister!
They sent me cash over fast money transfer service.

Also many thanks to Slovak Ambassador to Argentina.
He gave me advice and is contacting British Airways and Qantas to help me with my airline tickets.

I asked my travel agency to regenerate my paper tickets (not electronic tickets, so sometimes they cannot be regenerated, I hope this is not my case).
At the moment I am waiting for the response.

And this is the story how they rob pure Europeans:

It happened 400 meters from my hostel when i was looking into the map for the right direction to my hostel someone threw bad smelling liquid on my backpack and jacket and almost immediately came two people (man and woman) to help me clean, they spoke Spanish and English and when they dissapeared, my smaller backpack disappeared too.

NOTE: never carry cash with you.

Buenos Aires - Argentina

2007-06-25T10:49:00.000-07:00

Some fucking bustards stole me everything yesterday when I arrived to the town centre.
(Credit cards, all cash money prepared for my trip - around 800 pounds sterling, digital camera, airline tickets, ID, driving licence, telephone ...)

I have my passport and bigger backpack with clothes, medicines, sleeping bag and tooth brush :) OK.

I am going to investigate if I am able to continue with the trip.

Rio de Janeiro - Brazil

2007-06-23T13:42:00.000-07:00

So this is winter on Copacabana beach

Cristo Redentor monument and panorama from the hill where it is located:

Rio is city with very holiday like atmosphere.

And you are more likely to meet someone who speaks english :) .

Today I am taking the bus back to Sao Paulo and early in the morning I will board the airplane to Buenos Aires.

Rio de Janeiro - Brazil

2007-06-22T09:36:00.000-07:00

Erico and Ana are great open Brazilian people who are always ready to help.

We are eating Slovak food Halusky and Brazilian food Rice with beans and maniok.

Yesterday in the evening I took the coach (six hours of travelling in very comfortable coach) and I´ve arrived to Rio.

I´ve successfully found inet cafe and my hostel on Botafogo beach.

Sao Paulo - Brazil

2007-06-19T07:22:00.000-07:00

It´s quite hot here in the third largest city on the Planet.
Between 25 and 30 degrees Centigrade. And it should be winter season on the South Hemisphere.

It is unbelievable trafic here and cars and pedestrians often break the traffic rules.

very clean and effective Metro (subway)

I am using my body language everywhere, bus station, metro station, train station, fastfood, shops, museums, because almost nobody speaks English (Except an Argentinian girl and a guy from Brasil, I met at the hostel I took accommodation after the arrival).

Then after couple of days I contacted Erico and his wife Ana over the

www.hospitalityclub.org/

web page. He works as an automation engineer (project manager) for an american company Rockwell Automation in Sao Paulo. I´ve studied automation as well. He offered me an accommodation in their spare room in their flat and took me to his office and factory for an excursion next day we met. He introduced me to all of his colleagues :)

Rockwell Automation factory department:

We went also to a typical Sao Paulo pizza restaurant.

You can serve yourself some kind of soups and sauces and then you sit down at your table and every three minutes restaurant staff will come to your desk with 1000 + 1 types of pizza and offers you a piece. You can eat for the whole evening if you like. And everything except drinks is included in price 8 reais (2 pounds )

Sao Paulo "Empire States building"

MASP Museum of modern art:

Cathedral da Se:

Sao Paulo - Brazil

2007-06-17T11:00:00.000-07:00

Sao Paulo is a nice city, it looks like nobody controlls the architecture, you can see a skyscraper close to a family house and very few people speak english.
And because I don´t speak portuguese (Brazilian internet cafe keyboard and Windows version) so sorry for the wrong twist of the pictures.

Before the journey

2007-06-10T04:48:00.001-07:00

Yes, I've decided to travel around the world to extend my horizons and get some personal experience with far-away people and places.
My trip will start on 15 June and I will use UK airline services (yes, aeroplane, I am not so brave to travel by train, bus and elephant :)
I'll visit places:

Sao Paulo (Brazil)
Buenos Aires (Argentina)
Santiago de Chile (Chile)
Auckland (New Zealand)
Sydney (Australia)
Bangkok (Thailand)
Singapore
Chennai (India)
New Delhi (India)
and back to Reform Club (London :)

I'll spend around one week in every location so I should return to London on 14 August 2007, I hope.