So it looks like I will be leaving Goa sooner rather then later, I'm not even sure if I will stay for Christmas   this little http://www.nytimes.com/2006/12/16/world/middleeast/16goa.html?em&ex=1166418000&en=a29257c7a32df160&ei=5087%0A (stupid fucking none working hyperlink) article has convinced me of this.

Very unimpressed. Not suprisingly the useless Australian Government has issued no warning apart form an increase in security at Airports in Goa. The Indian Government claims it is all safe because they have banned hawkers from the beach. This really sucks. I knew before I came that India is dangerous, the 100 people killed on a train in July was a reminder of this, but to see such a specific threat that relates to me so closely is a real shake up.

So my New Years eve is going to be a non-event in some backwater in Kerala, rather then the world famous parties I was hoping for, maybe I should just go to Thailand now....

Oh and this morning I saw a kid attacked by a bull on the beach, the kid was ok, but today is making me want to get out of this country.... Away from this beach.

I moved from Palolem Beach to Arambol yesterday and I am regretting it. Arambol, is dirty, stinks of burning rubbish, the dogs and cows are aggressive and aside from the usual Indian touts there are a whole bunch of lecherous Israelis to deal with. My new husband Jake has been saving me from their attentions, but I would really like to be treated with some respect rather then as blonde hair, tits and a wallet. I suppose having been "the" hippy destination has turned this beach into a quagmire of seediness; where there are hippies there are relaxed standards.

Bummed out....

So I have learnt not to trust anyone who approaches you in the street, they want to scam you in some way shape or form. Anyone who starts talking to you wants somethng, if it is not money it is an attempt to pick you up. Even going near a shop is asking to spend a long time either haggling or tryng to escape. Country of bloody husslers, gettng a little bit old already.

Yesterday the scamming extended to the animal kingdom. At breakfast I was suddenly attacked by ants, biting angry little bastards. Three tables later I found a seat that was ant free. Lunch time and I was sitting down enjoying a lovely vindaloo and nan, when, a crow swooped from the sky and took off with my nan clutched firmly in its talons. My extreme shock must have registered on my face and it provided much mirth for the rest of the restaurant. The wait staff wiped the tears from their eyes and provided me with another nan.... Which I defended warily from the circling avain threat.

Then last night as I was strolling down the beach a group of dogs decided I was their new best friend and started following me. There are dogs all over the beach none of them are owned by anyone but they are all tame and lovely. They seem to live their lives in some kind of dog soap opera/political upheaval with lots of howling and jostling going on. Anyway the dogs that started following me roamed around behind me for hours and when I attempted to return to my accommodation they had to be locked out by the manager as they would not leave me. They proceeded to sit outside the gate and howl and I had to leave by a different exit to avoid their slightly strange devotion to me.

It has been very strange adventures in India, never a dull moment! Monday I am off to North Goa where the parties are. I have planned my travels and I am going to do a circuit around India that will take me to all the places I want to go, really excited about it! It will mean spending days of my life on trains but so far that has been great, and hassle free.

Goa is paradise. White sandy beaches fringed with palm trees, warm water, boats and shacks line the sand. Where I am staying in Palolem was recently voted the most beautiful beach in India. There is a law against erecting permanent structures, so all the accommodation, bars, restaurants etc are little shacks and hut built out of cocnut palms, bamboo and other materials. At the ned of the wet season, they all need to be rebulit, it is wonderful.

I am staying at the Palolem Beach Resort in a concrete floored tent that is 40 metres from the surf. All this for the princely sum of $10 Australian dollars a night. This of course raises all sorts of crises of conscience for me.... Whilst I am ecstatic to be somewhere so beautiful and affordable, I am battling with the ethics of living on so little for me while thise around me have nothing. I have decided though bringin my fat western wallet has to help, I hope.

I have been hanging out with a really cool English couple; Sangita and James and a lovely lady called Virginia from Adelaide. Virginia saved me from Mumbai and travelled down on the train with me to Goa. Things in Mumbai got a whole lot easier when I was with someone else. I have also acquired a wedding ring and an imaginary husband to reduce the hassle factor a little bit. My imaginary husband is so wonderful I am worried that noone will ever live up to him, but it is worth it!

I have been doing yoga, swimming, walking and I am about to head off and have an ayurvedic consultation which should be really interesting. I am so relaxed, loving it. Finally getting some much needed sunshine into me and the most fantastic food. Next stop Kerala to hang out on a lake and spend a couple of days exploring the backwaters of "Eastern Venice".

Steamy pollution

traffic goats misery

lies behind now

It has been a while sorry! I had a great time in England but never really managed to get it into this oh so lovely medium, ce la vie. In brief Bristol was great, the fabulous Zoe showed me around, kept me entertained and fed while her lovely Mum provided me with a home, grand! I had a day trip to Bath, a night of awesome funk, a night of diverse music (open mike night), some lovely meals, a day trip to the "beach" and many fun adventures.

Bristol is really beautiful, the counrtyside is so close. I had a really beautiful day walking through the woods. The air is clean, it is more relaxed then London and the arts scene is excellent, very cool city.

In London I was also taken care of by my friends generous family, thank you Miss Jessicat you are a star and your Mum and sister rock! I did not really get up to much, too cold and expensive and dark. I made a pilgrimage to the Natural Museum, V 'n' A Museum, Tate Gallery and Portrait Gallery. Had dinner with my lovely godmother, caught up with some people I met in Amsterdam. and caught aplne ot Mumbai....

Mumbai is on of the most horrible places I have ever been in my life and I almost got straight back on the plane, I ma not going to waste my life talking about it. Let me just say Thank God I am out of there, hideous.

I am now in Goa! Goa is paradise, palm fringed beaches, great weather amazing food, cheap as chips. I am a very happy girl! It is so beautiful here, I am so pleased to be warm and going swimming and lying around. I am relaxed and seratonin-ed up. Bloody marvellous, I am in heaven.

And I have not gotten sick yet, and I have decided not to, so there will be no stomach problems for me, thank you very much!

Autumnal colours

Cascade flow tumble riot over

patchwork landscapes

Having a wonderful time in Bristol with my P2C friend Zoe, being shown around and looked after, makes a very pleasant change to winging it on my own. I have many stories and exciting things to write about but I am cold and cannot be bothered at the moment, so I will write a more entertaining and informative entry later.

Loving the English countryside, it is very beautiful. I feel like I am in a novel, one of those quaint ones with bread and drippings and lots of tea.

Briggsy, what is your email address???

Tim, Happy Birthday for Friday in case I cannot email.

So in my time in London I have had the good fortune to experience the following marvels; Black Monday on the tube system, the Indian Consulate and their visa granting processes, vaccinations against nasty things and some seriously dreary weather.

Black Monday was apparently one of the worst days ever on the tube system. I should know I spent 45 minutes between Russell Square and Holbourn. I having braved Cityrail plenty of times, I did not realise that it was still one of the worst days ever. Seemed like a pretty good day by Sydney train standards; delays on 75% of lines, ranging from severe to stopped dead. Having said that I was not on during peak hour and what was normally an hour round trip did take me three hours. Thank God I was in zen travel mode or I may have cried.

The Indian consulate issues 1500 'q' card from 8:30 until 12 every day or until they run out. You then take your card and wait for your number to be called to go and put your application in with a harrassed member of staff who then tells you to do some more things and come back tomorrow. Finally after 3 days of this joy and glory the Indian consulate have my passport and will supposedly return it with my visa next week, I said I would go and pick it up, I am scared. Anyone attempting to get a visa from the embassy in London be warned; you will need at least one day and 2 passport photos and some serious weather gear for the hours of standing around outside in the sleet waiting for 'q' cards or entry into the hall of angry travellers and tired workers.

Travel vaccinations hurt. I was vaccinated against Typhoid, Tetnus, Polio, Hepititas A & C and 2 others, I can't remember, but they were obviously important. My arms have been dead for 2 days and are now just recovering. For this priveliege I paid £120, or $300Au. The money definitely hurt more then the needles. I spent another £40 on my visa application, so in one day I spent $400au to stand in a queue all day, in the rain and get stabbed with painful things that caused me to be unable to clean under my arms for 2 days. Life feels like an Ernest Hemingway novel at the moment. All that is left is for me to lie in agony in a puddle of mud, alone, deserted with sleet dripping down my heavy wool collar or something.

London is a miserable cold place to be in Movember (it is Movember because; it is the month that all who are capable are supposed to grow a moustache, you can donate money to people who defile their faces and it goes to Prostate cancer and Men's depression www.movember.com.au). The sun goes down at 3:30 4:00 and it is cold and rainy. It is not even cold enought to snow, which would be exciting, just cold enough to make me want to stay inside and start storing some reserves for the next ice-age (and no I am not talking about buying canned goods, I prefer the store-it-on-my-person approach to ice-age avoidance also known as the if-I-feed-my-arse-now-later-I-can-feed-my-face-method). It has been nice to do nothing for a week (if you exclude the attacks with syringes and the time spent at the Indian Embassy, which you should because I am working on repressing them out of existence).

Next stop Bristol.... Will keep you updated.

I just wanted to say; Mary, Dan I lost your details. I have no idea of you are cheking this at all but if you ever do send me an email!

Dan happy birthday for Saturday I did want to come out and have drinks but I had lost all you details... I hope it was fun.

Oh and welcome aboard Frankie, it is about bloody time, but I still love ya kid.

http://gallery.tla.net.au/hannah/  go here to see photos of me taken by the second cool Australian I have met called Hannah.

So I am all nostalgic and sad about leaving Portugal and Europe. I am still here but my plane leaves in 3 hours and I am bummed to move on from here. Definitely on the 'must return to list', and the hostel have offered me a job, so there are some good reasons to stay.... Apparently not having a visa is no challenge to making beds and spruiking for the hostel, hmm ok need to stop thinking about this, could be dangerous.

Last night a bunch of the hostel crew played circle of death and headed out to catch some music and savour the Portugese night life (and of course their beer). We found a jazz bar where your cover charge buys beer vouchers, genius! The music was all covers but extremely well played and very easy to listen to. It was also nice to go out in Lisbon and not put up with sexual harrassment for once, excellent development in the Lisbon experience.

So now onto London to freeze my bits off and organise the next stage of this journey. I need a visa and some needles for India, not real excited about either, alhtough quite frankly I think I'd take the needles over the visa any day, I am sure it will be easier and heal faster.

Feeling very apprehensive about India, I have an exit plan... We will see. I am looking forward to Christmas New Years in Goa. As an ex/Portugese colony they should be able to party it up a notch! It is part of my ease myself slowly into the whole India thang. So all you India people send me some tips/advise/places to stay etc, I need all the help I can get. I will be there somewhere around 5th of December at this stage, argh.