Planes, Trains & Automobiles
22nd February 2001
On the 19th, I had a train booked from Puri, on the East coast of India, where I'd been staying for a week, to Mumbai/Bombay on the West coast. When there, I was planning to stay a night, then get a plane out to Singapore the next day.
Well, to get to the station, I had to get a bus, about a one and a half hour drive - the first bus (and only bus) I got in India. Alright at first, it was a 'luxury' bus, which basically meant it had some soft stuff on the chairs. Got on the back of the bus where there was some room, and put my bag on the chair next to me, and started wafting my t-shirt around because it was quite hot. Then, on piled the locals, and I had to move my stuff to below my chair and on my lap. Then more people got on... and then more. By the time the bus started to actually move, I was cramped in the corner of the bus sweating like a pig, sticking my head out the window to try and get some air.
The journey wasn't that bad, and like on all journeys I started talking to a local. "What's your name?... Where do you come from?... What is your job?" - it just gets boring after about the seond time you get these questions. Argh! Well, like always, the friendly conversation ends with them trying to give me their phone number and/or address and then I'm supposed to contact them. I dunno, maybe I will someday when I'm home, but I'll probably just forget. Half way along the journey there was a bang by the side of the bus and then some woman started shouting, then there was a big brawl outside, and it turned out that we'd rammed over a woman with the bus. After a few minutes of shouting and pushing, the bus started moving again. I thought there was going to be a bust up - but it was all vocal and a bit of pushing, and the woman didn't even look hert - no blood at least.
Got to town, and after a cycle-rickshaw got to the station. I'm not going to bother talking much about the train journey again because I've done that before - but what I will say is that it's extremely hard to sleep. The noise is defening, and then at 4am, when I'm finally starting to get to sleep, the stupid baby below started crying and they turn the light on, and don't bother turning it off again - bastards. Then some guy keeps walking up and down the isle shouting "Kof-eee, kofe kof-ee, kofe kofe kofe kofe ko-feee" - obviously he's trying to sell coffee, but noone wants the damn stuff, so why doesn't he give it a rest and let us find him if we want some? All this before it's even light outside as well. It wasn't very pleasant when the baby opposite me started shitting in it's nappy/rag either - you just heard a kind of blubbering sound, like a wet fart, and then the smell just hits you. And, it seemed to me, the woman just kind of wiped the rag around, then hung it out the window that I was trying to look out of (and get some fresh air).
Finally arrived at Mumbai station at 4.30am, and then I just waited there until dawn, which unfortunately came later (at 7am) than I expected, which was quite boring. Went to a hotel I wanted to stay at for the night, and the stupid cab driver didn't have an idea where it was, and couldn't read a map, and didn't know the road name. I mean, what does he do all day? It's not like he's never been there before, like me, and I was having to tell him exactly where to go. My directions weren't all that good with all the crap he was telling me, and I ended up with a half hour walk with all my bags to the hotel - only to find out it was booked up, but they did let me use their shower, which was bliss! After that, I phoned the airline and got the flight put forward to midnight that evening, and then got another stupid cab to the airport.
Got to the airport at 11am, after two nights on the train, and very little sleep. Thought I might sleep in the airport a bit, but instead I got speaking to a 60 year old bloke from the Rotary Association who's just been to Gujarat to help with the earthquake tragedy. Interesting conversations, and somehow I managed to waste my entire day doing nothing, so that I could get the plane at midnight.
By the time I got into the departure loung my eyes were involuntarily closing, and I lay in a very comfy chair/lounger there and almost fell asleep - before going through security checks and into a far more uncomfortable area.
Plane was nice, but I sat next to boring people - I hoped to sit next to one of the girls or boys who I'd seen and talked to a bit, who're also travelling and stuff, but instead I got two oldies. Just tried to sleep - but had to have the food as well. I think I got about one hours sleep, maybe two. Arrival at Singapore wasn't too spectucular because I was dozing off on touchdown.
Other stuff...
2009-09-29: Emerald Acupuncture, Cambridge2008-12-16: My yearbook company
2008-10-24: Benjamin Luke Flash Gordon
2006-06-07: Mr & Mrs Jake Gordon
2006-05-08: AllYearbooks.co.uk Relaunches!
2006-04-11: Building Collapse!
2006-04-03: Getting Married
2006-01-19: Estate Angels & Drupal
2005-09-10: Hard Drive Fried
2004-12-23: US Election Ohio Recount
2004-11-19: GlobalPublicMedia.com
2004-11-03: Peak Oil Dissertation
2004-07-15: Internet Explorer vs. Mozilla Firefox: Google Zeitgeist
2004-07-13: Fahrenheit 9/11 - good, but nothing new
2004-07-10: Fahrenheight 9/11
2004-07-03: Using the Disability Discriminatin Act (UK) to force companies to provide e-books
2004-06-20: Slashdotted
2004-06-08: Mr Jake BA
2004-06-05: JakeG Limited & Degree Results
2004-05-13: Yearbook Production
2004-04-25: No Jobs & No Oil: the unsustainability of full employment and cheap energy
2004-03-14: My Own Radio Station - For Free
2004-02-24: More on Peak Oil
2004-02-24: BBC License Fee Debate on Century FM
2004-02-24: New Blog!
2004-02-23: P2P Internet TV
2004-02-18: More Bleak Predictions
2004-02-11: Jobless Figures
2004-02-05: Ski Photos Online
2004-01-27: Ski Champ!!!
2004-01-18: Interesting copyright law with tape recordings
2004-01-12: Twisted economic values
2004-01-11: As I suspected - never trust unemployment figures
2004-01-08: Sociology essay: Internet and freedom
2003-12-19: Dissertation Plan
2003-12-07: Trampolining
2003-10-16: Sociology Essays
2003-10-12: Exploring Snowdonia
2003-10-10: Wireless Networking
2003-10-07: Disabling Education System
2003-09-19: Wealth Concentration & Technological Freedom
2003-08-31: Travel Photos
2003-08-27: Boy I'm glad to be back home
2003-08-24: The Real Mexico
2003-08-24: Argh... Airport, Travel Agency... Argh!!!
2003-08-24: Cigar Smuggling
2003-08-24: Marcela in Monterrey
2003-08-24: Cuban Brawl
2003-08-24: Socialism, The Cuban Way
2003-08-22: Cuban Prostitutes
2003-08-17: I do like to change my mind...
2003-08-16: Hammock Havan
2003-08-15: Capital Village and Belizean Quirkiness
2003-08-13: Robinson Crusoe
2003-08-11: Coke snorting policeman
2003-08-10: Dreams
2003-08-08: Are you okay? My name's Jake, I'm a rescue diver, may I help you?
2003-08-01: Industrial Action
2003-07-29: Honduras
2003-07-28: Almost Dead
2003-07-25: School's out for summer!!!
2003-07-21: Yo Hablo Espanol
2003-07-20: Twin Peaks
2003-07-16: 'First Class' Chickens
2003-07-16: Opa
2003-07-16: Waterfalls And Even More Ruins
2003-07-12: Jungle Ruins
2003-07-11: Pain In The Arse
2003-07-09: Guatemala and a Cunning Plan
2003-07-08: Hammock Haven
2003-07-04: Travelling Budderinos
2003-07-03: Cuban Cigars and Beached Turtles
2003-07-01: Rambo
2003-06-29: Go West!
2003-06-27: Pyramid Funkiness
2003-06-26: Hola! Je suis en Mexico!!!
2003-06-24: Photos for all!
2003-06-24: MexiGo
2003-05-14: musicdonor.org
2003-04-01: Mr Bump
2003-03-12: So maybe I will update
2003-03-11: Should I bother updating?
2002-01-24: Derby Hall President Elections
2001-11-26: Travels 2001 Photo Album - Online!
2001-10-24: I'm still alive... and having fun!
2001-09-28: Uni Life
2001-07-15: Home Life
2001-07-15: Hi Guys, I'm Home!
2001-07-07: I Can Fly!
2001-06-24: Brisbane Photos... And I'm Back Home (kinda)
2001-06-22: The Reunion
2001-06-21: Aussie Photos Up
2001-06-20: Bungyyyyyyyyy...
2001-06-18: Mindless Stagger
2001-06-17: Freezing My Nuts Off
2001-06-12: A Browne Moon Rise on Fraser Island
2001-06-07: Learn To Fly
2001-06-03: Gagaju - Backpackers Retreat
2001-05-31: Another Change Of Plans!
2001-05-30: Back To South East Asia?!
2001-05-16: A Memento of Brisbane
2001-04-30: We All Live In A Yellow Submarine
2001-04-24: Perhenthian Islands Photos Up
2001-04-20: Aussie Life
2001-04-08: Mumma In Thailand
2001-04-06: Thai Boxing and Lady Boys
2001-04-05: Go Go Bars
2001-04-04: More India Photos Up - I'm In Bangkok
2001-04-02: Back In The Womb
2001-03-29: India Photos Up
2001-03-28: Noname
2001-03-27: Scuba Diving and Motorcycling on Koh Pha-Ngan
2001-03-25: Lady Bars
2001-03-24: Koh Samui
2001-03-24: All Washed Out
2001-03-22: Krabi
2001-03-22: Happy 5th Birthday To Me!
2001-03-20: The Island
2001-03-20: Under The Sea
2001-03-20: Such A Fantastic Time
2001-03-20: The Wedding Invitation
2001-03-12: Camping, Jungle Style
2001-03-12: Alone Again
2001-03-12: A Cave, a Snake and a Leprechaun
2001-03-12: Theme Park & KL Stuff
2001-03-12: Taman Negara National Park - arrival
2001-03-03: The Con-Job
2001-03-03: Kuala Lumpur
2001-02-26: Malaysia
2001-02-23: Night Safari, The Beach & Underwater World
2001-02-22: Time Travel
2001-02-22: Planes, Trains & Automobiles
2001-02-19: Indian Work: Child labour, wage and baksheesh
2001-02-15: Books and Weird Shit
2001-02-14: To Spew Or Not To Spew
2001-02-12: Imprisoned for 42 hours!
2001-02-09: Museums, forts, palaces and temples
2001-02-05: Horn Please
2001-02-03: A Week In... Kashmir!
2001-01-28: I'm In India!
2001-01-27: Plane in just over 4 hours!
2001-01-23: Only a few days to go
2001-01-06: Posse Page
2001-01-05: Travel Plans
