Again, loads has happened since last time I wrote! Generally I'm very busy; going places, seeing things, making the most of it... although at the same time last week was very relaxing too. I dont think I'll be able to relax like that again whilst in india as I'll be inland and doing more touristy things.

After I last wrote I think I spent the mid part of the day just chilling out on the beach again! The waves were pretty good today, about 5ft. This guy kept trying to give me a massage by using phrases like "Come on man, it's cheaper than chips!" and "This only cost Asda price you know!" - hilarious! I was also told I look like a better version of Tom Cruise, haha. They also sometimes put on northern English accents which is funny. I was talking to my barstaff mate in one of the shacks at lunchtime, he was telling me about his job etc. Another situation I found myself finding it hard to comprehend their lifestyle... for a start, his family (wife and 2 kids) live on the other side of India so while he is working in Goa he doesn't see them. This is for 7 months each year, the toursist (ie not monsoon) season. I'm not sure what he does when back home the other five months. He works 7 days a week... and 20, TWENTY hours a day. 7 days a week. AND, for this, he gets 200 Rs a day, which is 2 pounds 60p. He lives in the shack with all the other workers, in total 17 of them. I think several of them sleep on the tables. He's happy with his life though so I guess that's the main thing. Had my quite expensive sandals nicked that day which is a pain inthe arse, picked some more up for a pound.

In the evening I went for a meal then walked down 'Tito's road' - where the best bars and (supposedly) clubs are. By pure chance as I was walking along I saw an English guy I had met in Tito's club go past on his motorbike. He stopped just down the road so I went and said hi again. He was with his friends he was travelling and another guy in his 30's who was just in Goa on his own. They asked if I wanted to tag along so I got on the back of the moped and we went to another nightclub called Paradiso. It was a really cool club with 3 floors, all open air. Each floor looked down onto the next; the second floor was painted in UV paint and the bottom floor had palm trees with fairy lights in that also led down to the beach! Unfortunately it wasn't that busy but was still fun and a really good place. On the way back we nearly hit about 10 dogs. There are dogs EVERYWHERE in india. We also saw 5 people on a motorbike!

The next morning I met up with Rob, Simon and Danny again and rented out a ped again for the day so we could explore Goa. We went over to Old Goa which had much less to see and do than I was expecting. Went to Se Cathedral a famous cathedral there and another one opposite too. Plastic bags and bottles were illegal in the area which is very odd and not much of an enforced law luckily. Afterwards we went to Pujani which is the capital. We didn't spend long there, bought some sweets and went to the fruit and veg market which was obviously for me pretty interesting! It was huge and repetitive. People selling exactly the same things right next to each other so not sure how they get trade really. There were people sleeping everywhere in the fruit and veg, I went to pick up a melon and it moved and this face stared at me - scared the hell out of me! That evening we went to the Saturday Night Bazaar. Similar to the flea market only at night and not day. Picked up some more bargains though; a belt, some more bracelets etc both for myself and presents. Also saw a snake there which was pretty cool!

The next morning we dropped off our peds and for the first time I used a rickshaw/tut-tut, a little 3 wheeler taxi! The driver offered us drugs too. The next day we decided on the spur of the moment in the morning to move out and head into South Goa, to Palelim - the most southern tip. we got a taxi/minibus thing there. The guy pulled up, 'Bad Boys' written on the side, tacky plastic spinners etc! He opened up the boot and we struggled go get our bags in as he had 2 subs and 2 6x9 speakers in the boot! He put on a CD which was... the crazy frog album! Pumped up to full volume for 18 whole tracks, it was a long journey but an interesting one nonetheless.

We arrived mid afternoon and were taken to the beach shacks where everyone stays. In the forest, on stilts, like from a movie. Chatted to our neighbours as soon as we got there then went for a snack and swim. Before long the sun was starting to set, the best sunset so far. Got some really nice photos from there. That evening I was innocently standing around when a coconut fell out of a tree and landed about a metre from me. Close shave, afterwards we were talking to one of the security guards and he said a coconut landed on one guys head and gave him brain damage :-s We got some food in the evening and then I got some postcards.

Early to bed at about 11.30 for an early wake up... except we couldn't get to sleep from the constant banging of a drum. Me and Simon were too intrigued so had to follow the noise! We walked for about 10 minutes until it was very near, then cut through some houses into the forest. We hid behind some trees and watched from a safe distance, worried they might sacrafice us or something! There were around 100 people of all ages, 2 banging the main drums, a few banging smaller ones and the rest dancing like crazy! There were fireworks going off too. After about 5 minutes they moved on and we saw an English looking lady amongst the crowd. We went and talked to her and luckily she was in the know! She explained that it was currently a national holiday for the 'Holi Festival' which happens once a year. All the villagers go round for 5 days, they go to every house in the village and do a 10-15 minute dance in each. They do this from 9am to 2am every day for 5 days and at 2am each day they have a feast. The festival lasts 7 days in total, the final 2 days are different from the first 5 and I experienced from Bombay where I am now so will explain them as I get to them.

We eventually got to sleep (after then cracking open my coconut and climbing some coconut trees!) and I woke up early the next morning to catch a taxi to catch my train. I thought the train journey was 6-8 hours but it turned out to be 12 and it was an hour late so that was pretty crappy. One carriage of the train was a kitchen if you can call it that, where about 15 people were working in some of the worst conditions i've ever seen. Very little space to move and so unbelievably hot. They were working in there for the whole journey. I was in 3rd class on the train (you have first, third, second and then another class, from best to worst in that order - it's stupid I know!). I also had air con. There's room for 8 people in my carriage, seats which have beds above them and fold into beds themselves. i was lucky though as most people can't afford this so I had a whole carriage to myself. Still not that comfortable but I really can't complain... as at the far end of the train the conditions are so so much worse. In the same space I had to myself further down, there were around 50 people probably more. And their luggage, which is for the most part balanced on their heads. Also, the doors onto the train aren't shut so people hang off. At the stations people were climbing through the bars in the windows to get on.

I got a taxi from the station to India Gate where I was told there were plenty of hotels. I was very lucky to be approached by a man who wanted to help me. Obviously I was a little apprehensive and careful. He took me round all the hotels he knew, all fully booked or too expensive but he wouldn't leave until I'd found a suitable hotel which eventually I did. He told me the sights to see and gave me his number, telling me to see the sights in the day and call him in the evening. I was woken up pretty early by shouting at about 7.30 so got out. I walked to the Gateway of India, a famous landmark and looked around the Hotel Taj - a very posh expensive hotel. Later I got a tour, taking me up Malabar Hill to the Hanging Gardens, which then overlook Chowpatty beach and the rest of Bombay - very nice views. We then went to a temple and Ghandi's house which is now a museum of his life. Pretty interesting. Went past/to the entrances of the university, VT station and the high court, all very old and historic buildings.

When I finished the tour (also after a bit of an arguement with the guide to get a cheaper price as I was a little annoyed) I got a boat out to Elephanta Island. Nothing to do with elephants! People love me, especially in Bombay. People want their photo with me or just of me all the time. Or even just to shake my hand and know my name! So the boat took about an hour and about 20 photos! From the landing point it's quite a trek even to get to the island's shore. Then you have to walk up the hill. Little stalls up the gravel path where i picked up yet more bargains (my bag's getting harder to pack each time I move on, think I'll have to send some stuff home). Went to the caves on the island which were interesting and then walked/ran up to the very top of the hill for a good view of Bombay in the far distance. There were monkeys everywhere which I loved! And even more dogs, how they got onto the island I don't know, they were fighting with the monkeys who were also stealing everyones food and water. On the boat on the way back was another photo session and a family were trying to make me marry their daughter!

I got back and set out on a mission to A - get the fluid for an injection and then B - get it injected which I did successfully and ended up talking to the doctor for about 20 minutes! Then I called Russen (the guy from last night) and he picked me up with an Australian lady who visits India often and he knows.

He took me somewhere to eat, one which in the middle of my meal i spotted a rat climbing the walls which kinda put me of my meal! Then he took my back to his house where I met his wife, son and daughter all equally as nice and welcoming :-) he then dropped me off at a bar called Leopolds which is meant to be good for meeting other travellers. I'd have to disagree as I only saw one other English person in there so talked to him. He was in his 40's and had gone out to India for a month to watch the cricket with his mates who were arriving the next day. I was picked up again about an hour later and taken to the next stage of the Festival of Holi.

Throughout the day people prepare a tall mast about 15 feet high down pretty much every other street. These are supported with strings attached to surrounding buildings. Fruit, mainly coconut and bananas is put at the bottom (why, I don't know) along with small twigs ready to be lit as the start of a bonfire. It was midnight when I arrived and everyone was in full swing, dancing around the mast to music being sung by anyone and everyone of the locals. As soon as I was spotted I was dragged in! They put some glasses and a hat on me and taught me their mad dances; they tried to make me sing Backstreet Boys for about half an hour but I refused the whole time! It was really fun and another great experience. People get drunk and stoned throughout the day so they're really having a great time! It's also normal to fight so I saw 3 fights which were pretty intense but no-one really hurt. I danced until about half 1, when we left and went for drinks at a friend of the Russen's house. He had amazing views out over the ocean and part of Bombay from his balcony. India on the whole doesn't sleep very much at all, someone who gets 5/6 hours is lucky. But Bombay never sleeps! Russen didn't sleep in the two days I was there, he told me that as normal for him. So I ended up getting to sleep at about 4.45.

I had to wake up the next day at 6 (eugh) as Russen was taking me sailing! This was really good and we got to see a nice sunrise over the ocean. We were at sea fo about 2 hours. When we got inland I said bye to him for the last time and was happily walking back to my hotel when I experienced the final day of Holi. I was attacked! Everyone throughout the whole of India buys this special powder then either mixes it with water or uses it as it is to throw at each other. I was actually pretty pissed off as I was in my favourite clothes and apparently it doesn't come out (we will soon find out, I've just sent some clothes for my first cleaning). So the rest of the morning was taken up writing most of this and trying to avoid being attacked again. There's people COVERED in this stuff everywhere and it's not only people that are targeted, cars, buses, buildings, cows, dogs...!

I got a train at 3pm which brought me to where I am now in Udaipur, Rajasthan and took 15 hours. When I got on, there were about 5 people in the booth of my allocated seat and about 5 booths in the same carriage which were completely empty. As I expect most people would, I went for one of the empty carriages and started to sleep. I was woken about half an hour later by someone wanting to check my ticket. He saw I was in the wrong seat and lifted up my bag, carrying it to the right seat and trying to make me sit amongst the other people. I wasn't impressed, especially as he spoke no English and kept speaking Hindu really fast. I decided to pick up my bag, walk back to where I was before and talk English really fast! We ended up talking our languages fast and loud at each other for about 10 minutes before he finally gave in and left. I then slept for the whole 15 hours, which shows how little sleep I had been living on as I think that's the longest I've ever slept for in one go! I only woke about 3/4 times too which is good out here where I normally wake up 7/8 times during 5 hours sleep.

I was then picked up my my driver/guide for the next two weeks who brought me here which was another 3 hour drive and on which I managed to sleep even more! We visited a really nice temple on the way and drove through the very scenic moutains. I checked into my hotel which is LUSH, especially in comparison to the previous places I've stayed. We headed straight back out to see the sights which is less that I had hoped; I've seen them all already and I have anoter full day here. They involved another temple (lots of temples over the next week), a huge palace called City Palace, some gardens... that's about all. Still enjoyable visits though I'm ot sure what tomorrow will bring. There's been a lot to write about as it's been nearly a week since my last post but that brings us completely up to date.

4 final notes: 1. My burn turned to tan and then most of it peeled off! But I think I'm still looking pretty tanned :-) 2. Everyone here says "As you like, sir" "Very cheap price for you my friend" and "This not cover my cost" and a kind of nodding of the head from side to side is used as any response to any question! 3. I have been taking loads of photos (I think 4 or 500 so far!) but haven't been able to upload any yet... am working on it! 4. Comments on my blog arent working (or at least I'm not able to recieve them) so email me instead...!