Looking at the map, I think I've pretty much scaled half of India now. I'm resting my weary pins for a couple of days in a place called Nasik, not far from Mumbai. It's the first city I've been to for a while that I've warmed to and felt at home. Nasik has a more cosmopolitan atmosphere than amny of the places I've been to and the people are a bit calmer, the women more beautiful and the climate just about right..and just when I was getting bored of eating guavas, papayas and bananas every day, I've found somewhere where they grow the juiciest figs I've ever tasted!
On my first night here I was having a "moment" standing on Victoria bridge overlooking the holy Godavari river, remembering the view from Waterloo bridge when a strange, drunk man holding a bottle of something in a bag came and stood next to me. Having been in India for some time you start to become very used to everyone and their cousin's dog trying to talk to you so I just attempted a broken conversation with him, assuming he was just another friendly chap wanting to talk to Johnny foreigner. He talked about the water. I agreed there was lots of it. We laughed and smiled for a couple of minutes before I felt this wasn't quite right. I looked down and realised he was holding his hand a bit too close to my privates and was gesturing lewdly with his tongue whilst giving me a wink. That was when I made a swift exit, quite angry that he's ruined my contemplative reverie.
I spent several days in Mandu in Madhya Pradesh, which was once one of the biggest cities in the world on the trading route across the east. Now the village only has a population of about 8000, mostly farmers and local tribespeople who are surrounded by the most incredible afghan mosques, tombs and buildings everywhere you look. It was also one of most beautiful natural places I'd been to with very little traffic, beautiful lakes and amazing views over the valleys surrounding it. Have a search on google if you want to see some pics. When I get settled I'll sort out my photos and finally give in to facebook.
Unfortunately whilst in Mandu I came down with a fever, which lasted 24 hours, turned my guts inside out and left me shivering in my bed with a bucket next to me for what seemed like a lifetime. As the night dragged on painfully, I awoke to the sound of something scurrying about and making strange high pitched noises. I'd heard this a few nights before and hoped it was outside. I scrambled around for my torch and turned it on to see what was going on. Nothing was immediatedly visible, then I shined it next to me and there was this pointy, whiskered snout staring at me from beneath the corner of the pillow next to mine. I had about as much energy as a man close to death, but managed to thrash about a bit and scare the little blighter away. Understandably I didn't sleep much after that and decided to leave Mandu as soon as I got my strength back.
I'm sure you're all in the throws of Christmas shopping and watching repeats of the Only Fools and Horses christmas specials. I've seen no evidence of Christmas at all so it hasn't really felt relevant to me. I think I'll be on a beach somewhere in Karnataka or Goa hopefully, eating some fresh fish and maybe even treating myself to a beer.
btw. I was just getting the hang of some Hindi, picking up words here and there, when suddenly I'm in a place where they speak an entirely different language (Marathi) and I'm completely in the dark again!
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