Mumbai part II ,south to Goa and life on the backpacker trail.

Before selling up, boxing up and setting sail one of the last books I read was Are You Experienced? by William Sutcliffe. My friends Christina and Phillip from Cologne knew that I would be travelling to India and recommended (urged) that I read it, perhaps as a kind of immunization (or warm -up) to the non-sense that life on the backpacker trail can steep you in for a few days at a time, or at least until you manage to get a ticket to the 'next place' where it starts all over again. The amusing thing for me is although differing slightly in some minor details and characterisations, the novel is disappointingly close to reality as I'm comfortable with without running screaming into the jungle with my pants on my head.
More about this later.

My first few days in India were a shock, you could probably tell. However couch-surfing saved the day once more when it introduced me to Louella, and one Sunday some time ago I found my way to the right platform at CST and out to Bandra (west); a fairly ordinary and affordable suburb of Mumbai while still being close enough to the downtown area to only cost 10 Rupees for the train fare. 

What a relief.
A real place where real people live, not trying to swindle money or beg from travelers, nor selling miscellaneous articles on little street kiosks to passes by who due to a combination of tiredness, anti-malarial medications and bad diarrhoea, may not quite know what exactly they are doing, buying or most importantly what change they are getting... Basically it wasn't a tourist area.
I liked the promenade along the seashore it Bandra, I always thought going for a stroll along the prom was a curiously British thing, however I'm discovering it may be one of the best pan-human characteristics there is. There's just something about walking at your own pace, with plenty of room to go where you please alongside the place where water meets land. Even better if the walk goes along a roughly north-south axis so the are views of the rising/setting sun.

Bandra 'promenade'

Sunset over the mangrove

You can learn a lot from walking in these areas, Bandra (west) is an affluent suburb. Overweight Indians march along in tracksuits and trainers, plugged into their iPods. Following doctors orders. Chubby over-loved dogs are barely walked by the professional walkers that stand in for the dog's busy affluent owners. The odd beggar stands in front of the 'NO BEGGING' sign, hand out. Looking hungry. Teenagers meet for a few extra-curricular sessions with their girlfriend or boyfriend, gangs of greasy boys in plaid shirts sit in rows following the beautiful girls with their eyes as they stroll past. Oozing hormonal frustrations, sebum, and black-heads. Old geezers wait at the chess tables for a partner, one or two crazy white people jogging, toddlers run after the pigeons, never catching one, never wondering why they're compelled to try. Everyone has a fascinating face; different hues, light coffee, dark chocolate, a story written on leather.
Ordinary, everyday things. People up to their business. it's genuine. That's what I'm traveling to see.

People up to their business

My host in Mumbai did a lot to break a bad mood I had from the 'Hotel' Windsor in South Mumbai, I realised that I'm missing some things. Stability for one, an absence of worry is another. I am usually grateful when a host offers a few extra days stay, but at this stage in my travels being hosted in my own room in a nice, comfortable house in a neighbourhood where the most exciting thing to do is to go for a little stroll down some lanes herewith unknown (and then a little washing-up) is delicious balm for the soul.

After the extended stay caused by the number of days the trains to Goa were fully booked (5) I pre-positioned in another hostel close to the CST terminus, had a terrible nights sleep due to a pair of baby owls, and boarded the Madgon express at 6.45am.

Waiting to board the train at 6.30am, note the dust in the air

The day train was intentional; I wanted to be able to see the landscape changing as we rumbled on. I wanted a window show. The problem is that the windows were heavily tinted to the extent that unless the sun was incredibly bright outside I could just about make out the shape of the hills in the distance. However I slept a lot of the time, so I guess it didn't matter. Just another case of expectation being kicked into shape by reality. 
I think that might be India for me; I've always been interested in the country, it's cultures, peoples and histories. I've read a little about it, wondered what it would like, painted pictures in my head based on films and television, I even imagined the smells! There is no imagining reality, nor anticipating what will occur. I've learned just to accept what comes around the bend. Goa is a prime example of this:
I expected old Portuguese colonial buildings painted in bright pastel hues seemingly dropped into tropical Indian countryside and coastlines. I expected a few old hippies here and there, a cool and laid-back atmosphere, villages by the sea and inland where the freshly planted rice paddies turn the landscape ultra-green. A bit of history, perhaps. Some bars and the like, but mostly quieter than peak season as there are no holidays now in the west so there should be very few travelers and lots of cheap accommodation.
Wrong, wrong, wrong, wrong, wrong.

I've somehow managed to come to India in peak season for the area that I'm travelling. Accommodation is fully booked most days and train tickets need booking many days in advance. Rave (Trance I think) culture dominates the entertainment in the area and shitty dance music pumps out across the beach at the most inappropriate of times, like sunset. Waves of travelers arrive each day seeking the 'Goa experience' Traveler's hostels are plentiful along the coast, spilling forth keen youths each evening in search of a good party, many returning some hours later confused that all they found was a series of shitty bars giving the area something akin to a 'Blackpool in the tropics' feel.

Beach cows

The sea draws me back yet again

I didn't take any photographs of the shitty beach bars, the sneaky taxi drivers or the degenerate ex-pats who drink in them all day, every day. I can choose to remember the beauty instead, there is an advantage to not taking too many photographs in that you do not remember everything you saw and did through the frame of the selective lens-eye. The sunsets in Goa were all spectacular, however the humidity made the 35 degree daytime temperatures quite uncomfortable. The introduction of extra cold showers helped, however I cannot imagine living here in the summer.

The buses in India are a fantastic way to get away from the tourist coast and see little pieces of daily life. Unable to buy a train ticket online and from an expensive travel agent I went to Margao station in the south of the state by local bus. To my surprise the trip went very easily and apart from getting uncomfortably hot and sticky at times the ride was fun. They still have bus conductors here which helps the perpetually lost traveler no end. The best thing is that no bus ride cost more than 30 Rupees (30p) most being 15-20 INR.
The bus alternative to renting a scooter appealed to me on the grounds of:
1. My clumsiness
2. It's not driving, it's survival
3. No licence, deliberately may I add
4. Seeing the damage from a minor accident on some of the hostel residents
5. Being able to look around from a bus

Old Goa or Velha Goa ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Old_Goa ) is an interesting former town inland from the current state capitol of Panaji which was was of the jewels of the Portuguese empire until plague decimated the town. All that is left of note these days in a group of religious buildings which seem very much out of context these days. It's a world heritage site, so the sign said.

 There was also a spice plantation tour to see, highlights included seeing the unfamiliar plants that provide the everyday spices we enjoy, an almost robotic tour guide, getting cold water poured down your back and watching a 6 foot 4 inch ginger guy climb a tree...

A vanilla plant, part of the orchid family

I enjoyed Goa for what it was, the impending 'issue' with my travels is that I'm not sure where to go next. The backpacker trail led to Hampi from Goa, but I decided to take another long train ride to Bangalore to see the ghost of India future, but what then? Mysore Is close by so that might be next. Problem is there accommodation there is a little expensive so I may only stay two nights then go on to Kerala. The problem might be that approaching 3 months of traveling I might be running a little short of mental energy and inspiration. The thought of a long bus journey in the heat, or another night on a sleeper train having mice dance on my head is losing it's appeal. That's why I've booked my outward flight from India for the 20th of February, I could only stay another 3 weeks after that due to the the visa running out in any case. It feels like the right thing to do.

Istanbul

Ferries across the Bosphorus

I have been looking forward to visiting this city for many years, its history, its landscape, the archaeological remains that just litter some parts of the city, some visited, some not. It's position as the crossroads of the world; straddling the divide between east and west physically and culturally. It was supposed to be the beginning of a great step into the unknown. The start of traveling in Asia, the beginning of the unfamiliar and the challenging contrast to what was so familiar and too easy in mainland Europe. It's that challenge thing again, I'm seeking experiences either consciously or unconsciously that will be difficult. At least I think so.
However, three factors have changed the route for me. The first is the cessation of diplomatic relations between the United Kingdom and Iran following the http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2011_attack_on_the_British_Embassy_in_Iran incident, the bandit-country nature of the border regions near Turkey and Pakistan. Secondly it's getting really cold here so I'm sticking to the coast where it's warmer and third my Indian visa is swiftly running out (it only lasts for six months).
So I'm flying to India on the 8th of January and sticking close to Istanbul until then. I'm actually writing this post in Izmir where I headed to get some slightly warmer weather. My travels until then will be confined to the western side of Turkey. 
The journey into Turkey was difficult to sat the least, which I enjoyed, but my travels here have involved too much tourism for my liking. In Istanbul there are literally weeks worth of things to do and see. Except I'm not happy doing just that. I can visit historical buildings and museums for a few days but aside from the learning about the place that goes on there isn't much living there for me to see. Also wandering around a (cold and rainy) city by yourself loses it's appeal after the third or forth day.
I am travelling because... Honestly I cannot say why exactly, but to experience new and interesting places through my own eyes and also through the impressions of the local people I meet along the way is important. That is what I takes me along the road to the next place. There is no guidebook for Turkey in my bag. No list of sights to tick off, places to stay or eat and definitely no key vocabulary.
So when the only people I have stunted conversations with are shopkeepers, cafe owners, hotel desk staff and those strange guys who are employed to start friendly conversations with tourists for the purpose of luring them into shops and selling them items for an extortionate rate- I'm not at my happiest.
You can tell when I'm having this kind of experience by the way I take many more photographs than usual.

Tourism at Topkapi

The Tower of Justice- more tourism...

Looks cold and wet doesn't it? It was.

Inside the council chamber, the sultan used to sit behind the golden window to observe the proceedings taking part in his name.

See? Just like that.

Ottoman Bunchuks, symbols of power a lot like a standard.

16th Century Armour, the irate guard caught up with me at this point and told me 'no photo'

Re-curved composite bows

Views from Topkapi across to the Galata tower http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Galata_Tower

There were far more photographs taken, I didn't manage to get any from the inside of the room where the relics of various religious figures are kept, there were far too many security guards around for that so I couldn't better the picture of the hand of John the Baptist that my father took many years ago with my own of the staff of Moses. In all I spent around 4 hours at the palace and I didn't see it all, missing several important exhibits and the harem altogether. Then again, I am a lousy tourist.

Agia Sophia, more tourism, but wow! Just look at it!

There was one place that I simply HAD to go to and that was Hagia Sophia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hagia_Sophia which was one of the big draws of the city for me. 1500 years of history on top of another several thousand years worth buried underneath. I can confirm that it really has to be seen, read up about it first, then just go along and experience the place. Cathedrals are built to awe the visitor and in this respect Hagia Sophia did not disappoint, with many of the original Byzantine mosaics restored and visible after being stripped of the later layers of plaster put there to cover the idolatry by the conquering Turks. 

Recently it was discovered that the four seraphim have faces under their gold masks!

The spot where the emperors of Byzantium were crowned.

Isis and Horus

Stereotypes :)

Oh look, a thing you can touch!

Christ Pantocrator with the Mary and John the Baptist

Breathtaking mosaics around the galleries

It was a little busy on the day I visited, so I cannot begin to imagine how busy it could be in the peak season. I would recommend a visit to anyone, I may even go back again myself! However I would think twice if there were so many visitors that stopping, staring and contemplating was impossible. That is, I believe, the point of visiting a place like this, it's that whole 'pilgrimage' thing again.

The Archaeological museum.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexander_Sarcophagus

A gladiators grave steele

Part of the chain that closed the Golden Horn to ships in times of siege.

A female deity figure from the neolithic, yup another one...

Some days the kindness and openness of strangers truly shocks and fills me with awe and gratitude simultaneously. It shouldn't as I'm couchsurfing and I'm trying to remember that people can be amazingly open, yet it does and frequently I cannot express how grateful I am. 
Antje, a former couchsurfer of mine who stayed in my cold little house in Wales nearly two years ago asked me randomly on facebook what I was up to and ever-so-kindly took it upon herself to find me some more friends in the city, to my surprise it worked out wonderfully and her university friend Aslihan replied that she could meet up one evening; she took me to a rooftop restaurant with the most ridiculously good views. I mean they were literally breathtaking, even the cold was worth it, I've forgotten the name of the restaurant, but it was a stones throw from the Galata tower

Sneaky pic

One part of the panarama; towards Topkapi Saray

One day I took a walk along the city walls (another reason I had to visit). The walls are situated in a band of open ground in a girdle around the peninsula. Often major roads and transport infrastructure has been built in this open space giving the walls a surreal aspect as in places they have a four lane highway in a deep trench as a kind of impenetrable 21st century moat. There were also strange-looking men lurking between the curtain walls looking out and down upon passers by. I didn't linger anywhere long and took few pictures as a result. My host later told me that an American woman was molested and murdered there in the summer. 
I did find a little museum along the way; it was called the panorama 1453 museum. Inside after a lot of information boards you climb into a spherical chamber where there is a panoramic painting of the scene when the defences of Constantinople  were breached. It was quite interesting to watch the other visitors as most seemed to want their photograph taken in front of various scenes, what visitor and which scene is open to interpretation. The wording of the exhibition was also fascinating in respect to it being very much the history of the victor and the glorification of the personal skills of the sultan Mehmed II. There he is below, sitting on his horse winning the battle all by himself. 

I think the artist has misguidedly used modern Turkish faces for models, look carefully...

Cavalry charges at the city walls? Really?

The city walls today

The maritime museum, I just cannot resist a maritime museum....

Propellor from SMS Goeben/Yavuz Sultan Selim

Rowing boats that belonged to Mustafa Kemal Ataturk

I find Istanbul fascinating, like Turkey in microcosm it is a city with many personalities; traditional, progressive, nationalist, pious, conservative, liberal and countless more modes of thinking live inside the same shared space and shared consciousness. I'm not done with it yet, there is so much more to experience here, so I'll be back for another helping in the new year.

Thessaloniki to Edirne / Adrianopolis

 

I love Thessaloniki, It's not as cool as counter-cultural Berlin, it's nowhere near as anarchic as Athens, nor as historic and monumental. It's not as dirty as Plymouth on a Saturday night, it's not particularly beautiful, it has it's disgustingly modern grid system, fancy boutiques and a sleazy strip bar district,  but I love it. Why? I'm not sure. Maybe it has the sea. The sea is always there, acting like a heat sink for hot Mediterranean blood: Never allowing a boil-over.

The sea front (I've no Idea what they call it, but the locals basically promenade) is a popular choice for a walk in the city and one of the few placed that you can go for a run without breaking your ankle on the 'character-full' pavements. Recently someone has paid millions to extend this promenade miles along the coast with ornamental parks and gardens. So now they can walk further!

Mount Olympus at sunset.

that old time religion

The sea front promenade extension with nice wooden boardwalk and snazzy umbrella art.

One of the first things that I did was to climb up through the old high town that escaped the great fire (Ana Poli) to the Byzantine/Ottoman fortifications at the acropolis. The Belted tower (below) was free to visitors and very interesting. It was an interesting land parallel to a Martello tower in design. The views of the city were great so a hint to any traveler, when visiting a city or town in Greece, always head uphill if you have the choice.

The belted tower was a key point in the city's fortifications, it is now surrounded by houses but once dominated the hillside.

A view from the tower, you can see the line of the city walls and the Roman Rotunda and Arch of Galerius as well as the iconic White Tower by the sea front.

The summit of the hill is capped by the defensive citadel know as Heptapyrgion or YediKule which both mean 'seven towers'. For much of it's recent history it was a prison with very hard conditions. Many Rebetiko songs have been written about it (so I've been told).
The prison was closed in 1989, so is still in good condition.

The prison door, note the wear on the steps.

The exercise yard, I think there used to be barbed wire stretched over the top.

Maybe I liked the city because there was history apparent everywhere, it hadn't been demolished to reveal the Hellenistic levels below, and there were remains from all of the cities history. There were even minarets still standing.

Kamara or Arch of Galerius

Detail- Galerius was 'first among equals' in the first Roman tetrachy, that's why only he is wearing armour.

I spent a lot of time in Thessaloniki for a traveler, I think even though I had a bit of bad luck finding a host at first and further problems with the first host that did accept, I did have the good fortune of finding a fantastic hostel to stay in and through couchsurfing met a variety of fine folk, all of whom I would love to be friends with 'in real life' if the chance ever arose. However, when travelling you just know when it's time to leave and after 10 days the itch to move on was impossible to ignore. 

The next stage of the journey was great fun but simultaneously terrifying; Most travelers go the way of Istanbul via a direct bus, I wanted to enter Turkey through a more traditional route namely the old capital of Edirne which had in former years been the base of operations for the Sultan's armies in the Balkans. The problem was that there really was no easy way of getting there without a car. 
I left my last hosts house in good time, but forgot to ask them how to get to the city bus station, so I asked a reasonably sane-looking person waiting for a bus at the Kamara and was told to get on the bus to the railway station (It was my fault, I said 'poo eena stathmos BUS parakalo') So i had to get another ticket there and find the correct bus to take me on my way. The result was that I was 5 minutes late to catch the bus I wanted and would have to wait another 3 hours for the next one. Also It would arrive late in the evening.
I was having mixed feelings about leaving Ellada, there are things that really annoy me about the place and like a bad romantic partner I want to change it to fit me better, but then again those silly things that I find annoying are also part of the appeal. I think I could live In Greece and be very happy indeed, not in Athens! Maybe somewhere in Crete or the southern Peloponnese where I can grow citrus fruits and watermelons in the garden.
Then there are all the goodbyes. Travelling in this way is a very personal business; I share peoples homes, I eat with them, get tipsy together, sometimes dance with them, learn things that a tourist would never know or know that they didn't know, talk about the most general and the most personal things in the same sentence, share a bedroom, clean their pubic hair out of the plug hole etc. The downsides of making so many of these connections is that one day you have to say goodbye to them all. There's no taking them with you in the backpack. We say that we will meet again someday and somehow along our path, but we both know that this is unlikely. It is a way of travelling that I worry will take a toll on me over the long term, but at the same time enriches my life. A kind of sadness that tears out and builds up. Too many goodbyes.

An accidental meeting with my fabulous last couch hosts when we both missed our buses and had to wait in the station, they were running about an hours sleep at this point...

Last Greek sunset during the bus rest-stop

So the bus left me 20km from the border at 9.30pm, in the snow...

Goodbye Greece, hello Turkey. The long walk across a snowy no-mans land.

Edirne or Adrianopolis is the first city in European Turkey, and very interesting. Here are a few scenes of the first two days before I go to Istanbul.

Leaving dirty footprints in the mosque courtyard, accidentally of course!

Part of the old defensive structures

Inside the museum, Google says they've automatically made this photo spangly, click it to see it in all its gaudy horror.

Selimiye Camii, the most accomplished mosque in Edirne and the preferred work of its architect http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mimar_Sinan

An Edirne evening, Ataturk statue in western general's uniform.

The bazaar, Mustafa Kemal watches you here, too.

I'm travelling to Istanbul today, into unfamiliar territory. I'm rather excited about it all! I wonder what Mustapha Kemal would say?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Attaturk#Outlawing_insults_to_his_memory