Shawn

the river in varanasi

During my stay in Varanasi the nicest person I met is a guy named Sanjay that offers massages. Early in my stay, I was down at the Main Ghat and many guys offer massages, haircuts, and shaves, the person I first met talked me into getting a massage right on the Ghat, and his massage Read more

tibet prayer flags in Sikkim

I will be departing soon from Varanasi and India itself. Most of you know I will be heading to Berlin for about 5 weeks. Then I decided to camp out in Macedonia. The last time I only stayed two weeks in Macedonia. Orchid is very cheap, beautiful, and excellent food; I might also visit Bulgaria Read more

acidy indian food

When a person visits India you should experience that many people are very nice and hospitable if you are traveling the non-touristy areas. At first you may experience their hospitality as genuine, however, here in India and all over the world, most people are concerned about themselves. India is a shame based culture. Everyone is Read more

coconuts in India

All over India you can find Coconuts. Everyplace there are carts filled with coconuts that chop off the top of the coconut and serve fresh healthy Coconut Water. Most servers also will carve out the coconut pulp that may satisfy the appetite. While people prefer different flavors of coconut water, generally a green coconut with Read more

locking valuables in india

Traveling India and other “developing countries” may increase an alertness that requires extra security for valuables such as your laptop computer and cell phone. Here in India most hotel doors have outside locks such as the picture above. Carrying a Master combination lock while traveling I find essential; master combination locks are reliable and proven Read more

The Varanasi puja on the Ganga River

Varanasi is the oldest continuously inhabited city in India and is home to more than 1.3 million people who crowd its narrow streets. The charming chaos on the streets of Varanasi create a flare of cultural atmosphere. Here, you will share the street with bicycles, rickshaws, three-wheel autos, cars, people attending funeral cermonies, cows, pigs Read more

transportation in Varanasi India

I bought a new cycle today. I cannot deal with the rickshaws or three wheel autos having to bargain all the time. So I decided to buy a new bike for my transportation needs. It’s is a little tricky driving on the left-side of the road, but I will get use to the concept. The Read more

rented room in varanasi india

Today I am Varanasi and will be for the next month or longer renting a flat. This situation materialized through meeting Mona in Slovakia during breakfast at a hostel. I stayed with her family (husband and kids) for about five days in Hyderabad. I inquired about a flat or personal space to rent and Mona Read more

gangtok the city of sikkim, india’s disputed state of sikkim

Last Monday I pushed off from Darjeeling to Gangtok in Sikkim in a shared jeep. The journey was the most difficult jaunt I have experienced in the last three years. One of the most difficult journeys was from Mostar to Jajce in Bosnia—after five minutes in the bus I started sweating and feeling nauseous. A Read more