Puri

As the title says I'm in Puri in the state of Orissa which is on the coast on the Bay of Bengal. I woke up on the train the other morning just after six (when we were supposed to arrive but I've never been on time yet!). When I got down from my bunk and looked out of the window it looked like I'd entered a different country! This is the India that I know. Very green with banana and coconut palms everywhere. Very wet too. Ieven recognised some species of birds. I'm a lot happier now as I'm out of the urban sprawl for a while, until Madras more later. I had a hotel room booked and I'm beginning to get a feel for a place by the getting of a rickshaw on arrival. Too complicated to explain here. When I came out of the station I ignored them all and went and found a chai stand because I was choking with thirst. A rickshaw wallah stood beside me for twenty minutes not saying a word then when I'd finished he was ready. "Rickshaw sahib? Very cheap!" And he was! 20/- for miles. I got to my hotel at 7am they gave me my room right then. My door opens onto the beach. It's a bit grotty but it has a bathroom and it's very quiet there is an excellent beach restaurant attached and a room is only 200/- a night that's 2pounds 50p.

I just went for a walk on the first day. It's just pleasantly warm in the morning but by lunchtime it's seriously hot, only 90 degrees but it presses down on you. So i walked back along the beach and that was a lot cooler. I was asleep in bed by 8pm the journey and the heat just got to me.

Yesterday I went off on an experience or in other words used the local buses! I think they are great it's just complete pandemonium. There are no signs in English it's all in sanscript. People give you directions to about three buses. Eventually the conductor of one will swear to you that his bus is the only one going to your destination, so you get on. I've learned that it's quite important to get a window seat. This is because you can hang on to the rail across the hole where windows would be and you can use the bulkhead to push any third person that tries to sit on the double seat - off! Also you can just stare out of the window and be oblivious to all the shouting going on about the 'gora' (me the white foreigner) not letting locals sit down.

Anyway I eventally got to Konark which isrenowned for thesun temple. It was built about 1200AD and it was quite a building. It's more famous these days I think for the XXX erotic carvings all over it. When I say XXX I mean it! Just in case people wouldn't believ me I took some photos just to prove my point you understand.

I left there about 1ish and headed for the museum as my Rough Guide suggests. It was crap and not worth the 6p it cost me to get in. I was walking back intending to get the bus and it was boiling. The restaurants werte all touting for business. I never usually feel hungry in the day when it's warm. Then one of them said the magic words. "Ice cold beer Sir!" That did it. As happens quite a lot they didn't actually have a license for sellingbeer so they slap a kid a couple of times and send him to the bottle shop. It comes back wrapped in newspaper and that's how they serve it on the table. I don't know why it just looks like a bottle of beer wrapped in newspaper! I also ordered the Gujurat Thali. I know that Gujurat is a stae in the west and I've eaten loads of Thalis (a big plate with a bit of everything) but I didn't know what I'd be getting. When it arrived it was HUGE! It was on one of those metal segmented trays, mess trays we called them in the Navy. There was a mound of rice in the middle I could have climbed. Then there was a potato type curry thing and a veg type one. There were two types of pickle, the usual Dhal fry (lentil sauce and quite thick. Raita which is yoghurt with cucumber through it, a salad of tomatoes and cucumber two chapatis and a pappad. I thought I was going to struggle but it was delicious. Ishould have twigged that it would be because the place was packed with Indians. Of course there is no cutlery in places like this so all the kids stand and watch the foreigner making a mess! AS I was slowly beginning to see the bottom of my tray they came round with steaming pots and refilled all the little segments. I was stuffed like I never have been before. The cost of that huge lunch? 30/- or 37.5p! Back at the hotel last night one of the staff was sitting speaking to me and we were talking about British v Indian prices. He couldn't believe how much the Thali would cost out of a local take-away place at home. He was even phoning people up to tell them!

Today I hired a bike for 25p for the day and took my life in my hands. I've cycled for miles and this place is good for that because it's very flat. It was an old 'sit up and beg' boneshaker with the handle grips turned in to face you. This meant I kept hitting my knees on the handle bars and wobbling. Still, I managed to see more than if I'd walked again. But my groinal area is a bit raw!

I have run out of places to go. I've asked everyone that I've met and no-one knows of anything worth seeing between here and Chennai (Madras). I even asked the question on India Mike and a bloke from Exeter called Ham,ish answered with some suggestions. At the end he said go and see my mate Clive in the hotel that I'm next to and he can help. As I was reading this a bloke on my right spoke to his amte and said "Oi Clive" Yep it was the guy I was reading about. What a coincidence

I've booked a train for tomorrow from here (well a station 50km away) to Chennai (old Madras) then I'm going to stay one night and head back out to the beach at Mammalapurum, then Pondicherry. Trouble is the train leaves tomorrow morning at 7.30 am (bearing in mind it left Patna this afternoon at 1430! It's supposed to arrive at 0400 but that will be at least 7 - 9 before it gets in. Still I've treated myself and went 3AC which is Aircon and I get sheets and blankets etc.

At least that's the plan. I'm on a wait list at 7 so I should be OK I've been 30 before and got confirmed. going to check now. Watch this space!!!!!!