The high-speed Thalys from Amsterdam to Paris was, well not very high speed and reached Paris 35 minutes late. I read somewhere that "late" for Japanese is 1 minute. For British it is 10 minutes and though I did not know it then, for French it is 30 minutes. So we were very late by Japanese standards, though on good time by Indian standards. Just an anecdote here. My biggest influence for this whole trip is Paul Theroux's 'The Railway Bazaar', and I took it along for a second reading. In it he describes a transfer of 700 passengers from a train to a ferry in Japan which takes about 15 minutes. He compares it with a similar operation in India which took about 8 hours. I am not saying this to make fun of Indians, but to say that Japanese are little robots with little printed circuits in their tiny heads.
My hotel was near the Charles de Gaulle airport. Getting there from Paris Nord was a joyous 1.5 hr ride. I had to take what in Paris is called RER A, which to be honest guys, with all due respect, looked like a train out of Somalia. The train was dirty, with graffiti all over, was full of dodgy looking people of one color, dressed like they were in Africa not in continental Europe, and the biggest shock for me, there were so many beggars on that train. The only outsiders apart from me were a couple of American guys who looked like they were mercenaries from a Rambo movie. Weirdly enough, they asked ME which station we are at, when we stopped somewhere.
After I finally managed to get to my hotel, I got my first taste of what a budget hotel is. Seriously, the toilet was a totally plastic piece. That is, it was a big chunk of plastic in which a toilet, a shower and a sink are moulded out. I just fit in it to take a shower. And for the first time in my life I was happy that I am not anymore fatter than I am. Tommorow I will post a pic of an escalator in Paris, and you will understand why I came up with the slogan "Paris-not for fat people".
Sunday 30 August 2009
Monday 24 August 2009
Day 1 and 2-Amsterdam
I have seen places with lots of sex, and places with lots of drugs, but never anyplace with such a mixture of too much sex and too many drugs.
Firstly though, I got down at Hook of Holland, which is one of those remote looking ports, with a railway station that has one platform. So I caught this train to Rotterdam from which I caught a train to Amsterdam central. I have to tell you, I loved the trains in Holland. The train that took me into Amsterdam was a double decker train which is a first for me, and it was cool. And Amsterdam was lovely or dirty depending on which parts you are talking about.
I managed to find my pre-booked hotel with the help of my iPhone. Oh! What would I do without my lovely phone. Hotels in Amsterdam are very expensive due to all the British guys thronging it's streets in search of hedonistic pleasures. So all I could get on my meager budget was a bed in an 8 bed room share. This again was a first for me. It was very weird for me to share a room with a mom with her son and daughter, a Chinese looking American girl and the rest were Swedish guys. It did not help that there were around 120 empty beer cans under their beds, there were hundreds of FHMs on their beds, and they were shouting "we love Sweden"( even the girl, weirdly). So I dropped my bag, and headed into the craziest evening in my life. Amsterdam has a good tram system and I got a 24 hour smart card.
Right, if you are in Amsterdam, and it is your first evening there, where would you go? Yes, I went to check out the world famous red-light district, though it was a bit embarrasing to ask people for directions to the red-light district, particularly when you are alone and are an Indian. But, I managed, and wow!! What do I find, scantily dressed girls standing in windows, and the streets full with people. With Chinese and European tourists with their families, and British guys drinking in the pubs. One red-light district that is.
I had a horrible meal in a KFC, and went back to the room, which was quite happily empty. So went to bed.
The next morning took a boat trip across Amsterdam's wonderful canals, went to the Flower Market, and did the usual tourist trail. If I tell you, I got bored by 3 in the afternoon, you can imagine how little the city has to offer. So had a meal in a cafè full of people smoking weed, and headed to the station to catch the high speed Thalys to Paris.
P.S- I know I said I will post everyday. But, you know how lazy I am. So the story will come out slowly. And, I promise an incredible story. I am back in London by the way.
Firstly though, I got down at Hook of Holland, which is one of those remote looking ports, with a railway station that has one platform. So I caught this train to Rotterdam from which I caught a train to Amsterdam central. I have to tell you, I loved the trains in Holland. The train that took me into Amsterdam was a double decker train which is a first for me, and it was cool. And Amsterdam was lovely or dirty depending on which parts you are talking about.
I managed to find my pre-booked hotel with the help of my iPhone. Oh! What would I do without my lovely phone. Hotels in Amsterdam are very expensive due to all the British guys thronging it's streets in search of hedonistic pleasures. So all I could get on my meager budget was a bed in an 8 bed room share. This again was a first for me. It was very weird for me to share a room with a mom with her son and daughter, a Chinese looking American girl and the rest were Swedish guys. It did not help that there were around 120 empty beer cans under their beds, there were hundreds of FHMs on their beds, and they were shouting "we love Sweden"( even the girl, weirdly). So I dropped my bag, and headed into the craziest evening in my life. Amsterdam has a good tram system and I got a 24 hour smart card.
Right, if you are in Amsterdam, and it is your first evening there, where would you go? Yes, I went to check out the world famous red-light district, though it was a bit embarrasing to ask people for directions to the red-light district, particularly when you are alone and are an Indian. But, I managed, and wow!! What do I find, scantily dressed girls standing in windows, and the streets full with people. With Chinese and European tourists with their families, and British guys drinking in the pubs. One red-light district that is.
I had a horrible meal in a KFC, and went back to the room, which was quite happily empty. So went to bed.
The next morning took a boat trip across Amsterdam's wonderful canals, went to the Flower Market, and did the usual tourist trail. If I tell you, I got bored by 3 in the afternoon, you can imagine how little the city has to offer. So had a meal in a cafè full of people smoking weed, and headed to the station to catch the high speed Thalys to Paris.
P.S- I know I said I will post everyday. But, you know how lazy I am. So the story will come out slowly. And, I promise an incredible story. I am back in London by the way.
Friday 14 August 2009
On the boat to Hook of Holland-2
>
>
>
> This is the moment, I was truly out of reach of Great Britain. Out
> on the sea, floating in a big ferry toward the continent. The ferry
> was bobbing up and down in the massive seemingly endless sea like a
> small raft. As I sat at one of the windows, beside a bunch of
> elderly English people happy with their pints of lager, I was more
> happier. I already managed to get some gasps from people with my
> lovely plan. For example, the customs guy, got an unexpected answer
> for his question about where I was going. I said Istanbul, by land.
> He looked me up and down," that's a long way mate, to go by land". "
> yeah, I know, I am a bit mental" " well, go on then suit yourself"
> Now, after 8 hours on the ferry, I am walking like Johnny Depp with
> the swagger of a pirate. After I had my lunch of some lovely English
> cod and chips, I slowly drifted to sleep, and started dreaming that
> I was the guy from "Life of Pi" floating in the pacific with only a
> tiger for company. When I woke up, I was a bit disappointed that I
> am not the Indian ocean, so I could be hijacked by some skinny
> Somali's.
>
>
> This is the moment, I was truly out of reach of Great Britain. Out
> on the sea, floating in a big ferry toward the continent. The ferry
> was bobbing up and down in the massive seemingly endless sea like a
> small raft. As I sat at one of the windows, beside a bunch of
> elderly English people happy with their pints of lager, I was more
> happier. I already managed to get some gasps from people with my
> lovely plan. For example, the customs guy, got an unexpected answer
> for his question about where I was going. I said Istanbul, by land.
> He looked me up and down," that's a long way mate, to go by land". "
> yeah, I know, I am a bit mental" " well, go on then suit yourself"
> Now, after 8 hours on the ferry, I am walking like Johnny Depp with
> the swagger of a pirate. After I had my lunch of some lovely English
> cod and chips, I slowly drifted to sleep, and started dreaming that
> I was the guy from "Life of Pi" floating in the pacific with only a
> tiger for company. When I woke up, I was a bit disappointed that I
> am not the Indian ocean, so I could be hijacked by some skinny
> Somali's.
Monday 10 August 2009
On the trail of the Orient express
Two years ago, as I still remember it, on a hot summer afternoon, I was browsing at the second hand book market under the Waterloo bridge, when I picked up The Great Railway Bazaar by Paul Theroux. I have put it down after two days, and decided that one day I would follow him, atleast till Istanbul or as I like to call it Constantinople. Agatha Christie, Graham Greene, Paul Theroux, and so many others did this trail from London to Istanbul by train, overland. Finally, after two years later, and after a lot of planning I am starting my trip the day after tommorow.
The original Oriental express, as it was called does not run anymore and the Orient express that replaces it is a luxury train, which I for one can't afford to take, and for two, is like travelling to Istanbul shut out from the rest of the world. So I had to make my own plans. It was not easy, checking the timetables, booking different trains, and being an Indian, getting visas to travel through Europe and visas to get into Turkey.But now, everything is set and ready to go. I will be blogging everyday during the trip from my phone, subject to availability of wifi.
My planned itinerary is
London Liverpool street - Amsterdam Centraal-by train and ferry
Amsterdam Centraal-Paris Nord-by high speed train Thalys
Paris Nord to Munich -by City Night line train
Munich to Budapest-by Rail Jet train
Budapest to Bucharest -by ordinary sleeping car train
Bucharest to Istanbul-by ordinary sleeping car train
I start in London liverpool street station on the 13th August at 6:25am, and will reach Istanbul on the 19th at 8:20am, with stopovers in Amsterdam and Paris.
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