Trials and tribulations

No, not the awesome LCD soundsystem song. India throws up some challenges from time to time, and you just have to learn to deal with them - at India's pace, Inshallah.

Fishing boats at Puri beach at dawn

I have (hopefully) ironed out my visa situation and should be allowed back in to India after Nepal. I acquired (what I was told was) the right tourist visa, to be told at Mumbai airport on arrival that this was the wrong visa, and I would not be allowed back into India within 2 months of leaving. I was directed to a series of contradictory rules and regulations, but a visit to the ominous-sounding 'Foreigners Registration Office' has cleared that up, Inshallah. For now. I have managed to dodge the outbreak of swine flu in Orissa, only to learn that there is a dengue outbreak in Delhi, kidnappings in Bihar (where I almost ended up volunteering) and oil washing up on Goan beaches. Oh, and the New Zealand embassy emailed me warning against 'extreme danger' of terrorist attacks in Kashmir and Jammu and along the Pakistani border. Fortunately, the areas I'm going to are only at 'some danger' of terrorism. Phew. On the 'silver lining' front, I have learned that excessive monsoon rain has swelled the Sun Koshi river in Nepal - and I intend to raft this river in about 6 weeks, ha ha.

The local boys I played cricket with.

So anyway, my time at Kalinga Eye Hospital came to an end, and I had a few days to explore Orissa. I had an entertaining first Indian train ride to the beach town of Puri - where I was befriended by some young Indian men who talked to me about cricket for the whole ride (this is becoming a common theme). Puri isn't the nicest beach in the world, and apparently has a persistent paedophile problem if the signs in my hotel were to be believed, but a visit to the sea is a great way to refresh the salt water running through the veins of every New Zealander. I also played my first and second game of cricket with the locals. The first game I got roped into a Twenty20 game on the beach (and somehow played for both teams...). I had a good couple of knocks including a much-applauded straight six over the bowler's head - try setting a field to that! My second game was against some 17 year olds, who found my extra pace and bounce a bit tricky...

Monkey and baby

I also headed out to the Konark Sun Temple, which is covered in Kama Sutra-inspired carvings, although the highlight of Puri was undoubtably the excellent Chinese restaurant. After a few days I ventured to Bhubaneswar, the capital of Orissa. After 90 minutes trying to find the bus out to the Nandankanan Zoological Park (ask 5 people for 6 different sets of directions) I made it to the park, and was rewarded with seeing white tigers and some entertaining simians.

White tiger

I'm in Mumbai now with Nick awaiting the arrival of Ben, so that the next leg of the adventure can begin!


Namaste