Closer and closer....

Well after much excitement and changes of plans and updated routes, here is the current plan for India.

 29 Oct travel to Auckland with my friend Dave. Stay overnight with him.

30 Oct Fly out of Auckland leaving 3:15pm (good time to leave!)

31 Oct Arrive Chandigarh via Singapore and Delhi. around 32 hours after leaving Auckland. From there I take a tuktuk (they are pink in Chandigarh!) to the bus stop and then a bus to Aura Pottery where I am staying for 8 weeks.

Tuktuk in Chandigarh

28 Dec Leave Aura Pottery and make my way back to Chandigarh where I catch the first of my trains, the Paschim Express to Delhi. A 5 hour trip arriving in Delhi at 4:30 in the afternoon.

Paschim Express

29 Dec Full day trip to Agra to see the Agra Fort and the Taj Mahal. Around a 12 hour trip.

Taj Mahal & Agra Fort

30 Dec A day of exploring Delhi food stalls and excitements, especially Jama Masjid and Bazaar Matia Mahal before catching the next train at 5:00pm for Kolkata 17 hours away.

31 Dec to 1 Jan Spending New Years in Kolkata. Hoping to get to the Terreti Morning Market for breakfast and the SIr Stuart Hogg Market, commonly know as the New Market also take a walk across the Howrah Bridge, which is one of the world’s busiest pedestrian bridges. 

Sir Stuart Hogg Market

Howrah Bridge

1 Jan 2020! Leave Kolkata 4:30pm for Chennai Beach on the Coromandel Express train for 24 hours and 25 mins.

Coromandel Express

Pause here for a history/geography lesson.

The Coromandel Peninsula was named after HMS Coromandel (originally named HMS Malabar), a ship of the British Royal Navy that stopped at Coromandel Harbour in 1820 to purchase kauri spars. The ship was named for India's Coromandel Coast.

The Coromandel Coast is the southeastern coast region of the Indian subcontinent, bounded by the Utkal Plains to the north, the Bay of Bengal to the east, the Kaveri delta to the south, and the Eastern Ghats to the west, extending over an area of about 22,800 square kilometres. Its definition can also include the northwestern coast of the island of Sri Lanka.

Coromandel Coast

Back to the story....

Again foody stuff and sight seeing in Chennai Beach for two days, looking forward to the Sowcarpet Market! Specialising in North India cuisine. 

Sowcarpet Market

Jan 4, depart Chennai for Mumbai on the Chennai Express for 25 hours 15 mins arriving Mumbai at 6am.
Meeting up with an ex student of mine from my teaching days at Natcoll while I am in Mumbai. As well as foody and sight seeing stuff. Will try to get to Chowpatty Beach, which is famous for its bazaars and fast food and snacks such as Bhel Puri, Paav Bhaj

Chowpatty Beach

7 Jan depart Mumbai for Ahmedabad another 7 hours on the Vivik Express.
One night in Ahmedabad before heading to the Vipassana Centre for a 10 day silent meditation retreat. Will probably need it after all of the above!

Dhamma Pitha Vipassana Centre

20 Jan depart Ahmedabad for Bikaner, only 6 hrs on the train this time.
Bikaner is famous for the Karni Mata Temple which is home to many rats considered sacred by Hindu devotees. It is also famous for its sweets and snacks. So more food!

Karni Mata Temple

23 Jan depart Bikaner for Bathinda after 6 hours on the train. I have arranged to meet the family of a friend (Amritpal) I met at Port Jackson, in Bathinda. He has promised me some awesome home cooking while I stay with them. As I mentioned in the previous blog post my time in Bathinda is timed to coincide with the Vasant Panchami festival. Amritpal is heading home for 4 weeks to be home for the festival so will catch up with him at his home. He hasn't been home in 2 years.

Bathinda

3 Feb I get on a ......BUS! Heading back to Chandigarh to finish off my journey around India. A 4 hour trip in an airconditioned Mercedes bus.

Trip map

One night back in Chandigarh then fly to Singapore via Delhi. Short stop over in Delhi but 16 hours in Singapore so have decided to head out to ride some roller coasters at Universal Studios. 

Train trip again!

After that I should have time for some food exploration in Singapore.... flight doesn't leave til 10:25pm.

So then arriving back in Aotearoa on Feb 6th at 1:20pm all being equal!

Starting to load books, music and movies and TV series onto the iPad as well as maps and travel tips, copies of important documents and other stuff!

It will be fascinating to compare my pictures with the ones I have shown here! Thanks to Mr Google.

India here i come...

Travel itinerary so far

Tuesday October 29 travel to Auckland either by my good friend Dave or on the ferry from Coromandel.
Wednesday October 30 at 15:15 I am flying out of Auckland on Singapore Airlines to Singapore.
Flight time 10 hr 40 mins. There I have a 5 hour wait til I board leg 2 of my journey from Singapore to Delhi.
Flight time 6 hours. After a 7 hour wait I board for the last leg from Delhi to Chandigarh.
Flight time 1hr 10 mins.
So leaving Auckland 15:15 October 30 arriving Chandigarh 31 hours and 5 mins later but is 14:50 Oct 31 local time.
On arrival at Chandigarh I take the bus to town (another 30 mins) and then head out to Aura Pottery, another 20 mins west of the city.

Chandigarh is in Punjab province, north western India.

Northern India showing Aura Pottery and Chandigarh.

Aura Pottery on the outskirts of Chandigarh

I am going to be staying at Aura Pottery for 8 weeks on a long stay pottery retreat.

Aura Pottery

I am also organising at train trip around the country.

Train trip

Travel day 1 - Chandigarh to Delhi.Distance 264 km - Time 4.5 hours - ₹745 NZ$16
Travel day 2 - Delhi to Kharagpur. Distance 1735 km - Time 35 hours -  ₹2580 NZ$56
Travel day 3 - Kharagpur to Chennai. Distance 1539 km - Time 26 hours - ₹2350 NZ$51
Travel day 4 - Chennai to Mumbai. Distance 1281 km -  Time 24 hours - ₹2100 NZ$46
Travel day 5 - Mumbai to Bathinda. Distance 1849 km - Time 32 hours - ₹2725 NZ$59
Travel day 6 - Bathinda to Chandigarh. Distance 253km - Time 4.5 hours - ₹1130 NZ$25

Total travel distance 6921 km
Total travel time 126 hours or 5 1/4 days
Total cost NZ$253.....yes $253!

I will be stopping off at the cities for a look and so won't be doing this in a rush. There are numerous options to stop off at intermediate stops as well. 
I just have to be in Bathinda Jan 24th or thereabouts for the Vasant Panchami festival.

Vasant Panchami is celebrated in different ways by the Hindus of the North and South India. While it is a kite festival in Punjab, it is a harvest festival in Bihar. While it is celebrated as Saraswati Puja in educational institutes in the North, it is mostly a temple festival in South India. But universally, yellow rules the colour of the day, as it heralds the arrival of spring and signifies the positive energy of life and nature. It is also the colour of mustard flowers that bloom during this season.

 It has been an exciting time with list and things to do, like getting my passport renewed, booking tickets, applying for a visa, sorting out IT and communications while away.

Meanwhile, I am assisting in Coromandel Town with some clearing and native tree planting on an amazing property. Also we are making slow progress at the Pohutukawa Chalets with benchtop replacements and new cupboard doors and drawer fronts.
I have also been set building for the new play at the Coromandel Theatre, Last Legs. A Roger Hall comedy set in a retirement home.

So it is all go at the moment.

Til next post, safe travels everyone.

... and a bit of a catchup and next excitement

In February 2019 my contract with DOC finished and I moved on.
Luckily there were a number of amazing people in the northern Coromandel area that offered me space and work and support so I have stayed in the area.
Currently (August 2019) I am residing at the Pohutokawa Chalets in Papa Aroha, midway between Coromandel Town and Colville.

Pohutukawa Chalets (I'm in the bottom one)

I am assisting in winter maintenance while Bronny (owner) is away in Europe on her annual holiday.
The Fredrock Cafe is currently in Thames getting some rust removed. 4 years on the beach front at Port Jackson has done a bit of damage.

The Fredrock Cafe @ Kopu with co-driver

Co-driver Archie (on babysitting duties for the weekend only)

While here I have become involved with the Coromandel Theatre, Colville Social Services, The Colville Project and Driving Creek Pottery and Railway. So life has actually gotten much busier and I have had a bit of a change of direction.
So in closing up with DOC a bit of a look at some highlights.
Stanley Island tuatara release.

Releasing tuatara back into the wild

 Taranaki sperm whale stranding

Flensing sperm whales (me in orange centre)

And have been back to pottery excitements at Driving Creek Pottery and Railway in Coromandel Town.

Barry Brickell, founder/builder of Driving Creek

Driving Creek Railway

 Firing of wood kiln at Driving Creek

Heading up towards 1300 deg C

Sam Ireland after the 3am to 10am shift

Sam Ireland and Laurie Steer salting the kiln at over 1300 deg C

and today repairs and maintenance

redoing the firebox arch

repairs to the back wall

So a start to the reblogging and next post will have my summer plans 

Safe travels