So tomorrow I return to India and I must say I don’t really want to go back. Not for any really negative reasons, but just because I have so many things going on back here at the moment. I am enjoying my new job, despite it being extreamly busy, and have just started making arrangments to sort the work on the house out. Taking two weeks out now is just a pain in the backside.

I fly tomorrow morning at 10:00 arriving at 23:00 IST tomorrow night, after being Duty Manager all weekend. I am looking forward to catching up with the team again and saying goodbye properly but it’s going to be difficult managing my now UK based diary with the time difference. The saving grace is its only for two weeks.

On the home front it’s been really nice catching up with family and friends again after so long, and the sun has been out which has made doing things possible. It’s been really nice on the weekend sitting in a beer garden putting the world to rights before tucking into some good old English food. What’s been even nicer is the peace and quiet when I get home from work. No horn’s sounding, no dogs barking!

Tags: Family, Food, Friends, Travel

So another busy week that finished with the announcement of my promotion and return to the UK. It’s now official I will be flying back to the UK on 11th July and taking up my new position as Senior Manager Systems Support. I will be sharing my time equally between the UK and India for the next month or so until my replacement starts, so expect to be even busier than normal, if that’s possible.

I have really enjoyed my time in India and have learnt a lot and made some good friends but I am looking forward to the new challanges ahead. I haven’t really missed anything about the UK until now, but with my flight booked I can’t help think about a nice roast beef dinner and a few beers with friends and family.

Tags: Sickness, Travel

Okay so today I spoke to my banks (Nationwide) fraud department, and a really helpful and informative guy called Steve. He took all the details and then told me what I wanted to hear. He told me that I was fully covered and that the money would be refunded in the next couple of days.

He went on to tell me how this problem is quite prolific in Asia and one of the biggest markets for stolen card details at present is Austraila. Now I am not 100% sure how true that is, but he is the man in the know and I have no reason to not trust him.

Tags: Travel, Money

Dam....Dam....Dam....Well it’s happened to me! I am now officially a statistic. Checking my bank account today, like I do on a regular basis, I noticed a rather large transaction that I know I didn’t make.

20 June 2008 Crazy Johns SOUTH YARRA. 2,516.00AUD at 2.07 £1212.80

Now I have never been to Australia, although in the last Month I have been in India, Thailand, India, the UK, and India again, and have used my bank card in all three countries. I always try to take as much care as possible, and have a dedicated credit card I use abroad to avoid such occurances, but it looks like I have come unstuck this time.

I have phoned my bank, who have suspended my bank card and are going to issue new ones, but it means I am going to have some fun getting access to money for a while. The real pain is I have to wait until Monday before I can speak to the fraud department and start the process to reclaim the money.

In the meantime I have contacted the company concerned (http://www.crazyjohns.com.au/) and spoken via there online helpd to a BenN. He was very helpful and promised to send all the details to his fraud department.

Why did I contact the company concerned? Well the thing about theives is there generally not as clever as they think they are and often try to use the same company again and again. More over as this company deals in Mobile phones that is even more likely as they are easyily distrabuted and often in demand. The theif can offer them below market rate (Well they didn’t cost him anything) and the client, while suspecting its too good to be true, often can’t resist the opportunity to get there hands on the latest phone at a reduced price.

Tags: Travel, Money

So while I was waiting to board the ferry from Koh Tao to Koh Sumai I made the school boy error of checking my BlackBerry. I had an urgent mail stating the I was needed (Work) back in the UK. So after arriving Sunday night I went into the office on Monday morning to say hello to everyone, pick up my plane tickets, and then say goodbye again.

I flew out of New Delhi Tuesday afternoon and arrived about 19:00 BST that night. It was about 20:30 by the time I got home. By this time my body didn’t know what time of what day it was, or if it was time for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. I resolved myself to get something to eat and go to bed.

Wednesday morning I woke up about 04:30 and got ready for work. It was lovely being in my own house with all my own stuff around but reality set in as I drove to the train station and tried to find a parking space. After finding one the horror set in as I realised it was now £6 per day to park. I purchased my train ticket and (another horror) and boarded the train. It felt kind of strange but I did enjoy seeing the lush countryside whisk by. I arrived at Londaon Waterloo and boarded the drain to Bank and then walked the 10 minutes to the office.

All the time it felt kind of strange, as if I was a visitor or maybe even a tourist. I arrived at the office and said hello to the guys and girls I haven’t seen in a year and then went into three days of meetings.

By the time Saturday arrived I was just getting used to the time zone but was dreading the flight back and adjusting to IST again. I decided to worry about that when it came and met up with friends and family. The last time I had seen my niece she was only a week old and she had grown quite a bit. My nephew was the monster I had left behind and some, although he didn’t need anytime to get used to me this time.

It was great to see everyone again and as I left for Heathrow on Sunday I was aware that it was only two months until I return home. As I arrived a New Delhi IGI I felt strangly comfortable. I would go as far as saying more comfortable that I felt arriving at London Heathrow.

The last two weeks have been work, work, and more work, with a duty manager shift last weekend. This means I hadn’t had a day off in three weeks. So yesterday I took a day off. I needed to get my foot checked as I had cut it while diving and I think all the walking around London had opened it back up to the point where I have spent the last two weeks hobbling around the office like a 90 year old man. The doctor gave (well sold) me some cream and bandages but told me to keep it open to the air as much as possible and told me to stop wearing shoes until hit had healed more. The rest of the day I spent shopping as I have been living on takeouts and fast ood for the last too weeks and really need some wholesome food, and catching up on personal stuff.

I have a bunch of work todo before Monday, and am going to do a couple of hours today before going for dinner and then the cinema with Laurence. Tomorrow will be a work day.

Tags: Beer, Family, Food, Friends, Travel

Wow, it has been over a month since my last entry but at least I have something to blog about. Well that’s not quite true, I actually have a lot to blog about! Now the hard bit is deciding where to start.

So in my last post I was Duty Manager and trapped in my apartment in India planning my trip to Thailand, so let’s start there. Well on the Monday Chris Gothard, a collegue from the UK arrived in order to meet the team and discuss a few organisation changes. It was a great week and Chris enjoyed putting names to faces and catching up with people that he had only spoken to previously via the phone and email. It was a busy week with a lot of stuff to cover but we got through everything and even resolved some long outstanding issues. Sometimes its just so much easier when you can sit down and discuss things. Friday was Chris and Sandra’s last day in India before they flew back to the UK so there was a big party to see them off. I think most people from the team in India made it along at some point and judging by the fact you couldn’t get on the dance floor I think everybody had a great time.

Saturday morning I woke up feeling a lot better than I expected to given the amount I had poured down my neck. I love a free bar! Karan was prompt as usual and after manhandeling my suit case into the car we headed for Delhi’s IGI Airport. I arrived with plenty of time to spare but I was in holiday mode and didn’t care as I sat there listening to my iPod watching the world go by. We boarded the plane, and my backside struggled to get use to the economy seats. Thankfully it was only a three hour flight and after few beers to top up Friday nights quota I was soon asleep.

We touched down at Bangkok’s International Airport about 20 minutes late and disembarked straight away. I sailed through passport control and my bag was on the belt waiting for me. Perfect! I headed out and grabbed the first taxi I could find and gave him the address of the Hotel and we set off. As we drove the 40 minutes to the hotel I answered the normal question on where I was from, how I was here on holiday, and yes I liked beautiful women. I looked out of the window at the high rise skyscrappers and felt very much at home even though there was palm trees everywhere. We arrived at the hotel and I checked in, grabbed a shower, and changed my clothes. Unpacking would have to wait as I had spotted a McDonalds across from the hotel as we arrived. As I walked in through the big glass doors I am sure I looked insane with the smile I was wearing, as I ordered I must have looked like a raving lunatic. As I approached the counter thoughts raced through my mind, how many Big Mac’s did they have in stock? Would I be allowed to order them all? Would they deliver to India? I approached with caution and ordered a large Big Mac meal. I don’t remember the next 3.6 minutes as I was in a “Happy Place”. As I liked my fingers and drained my full fat coke I could only think of one thing. A Cheese Burger Meal! So back at the counter and then back to my table and the “Happy Place”. After eating I just felt really tired, but knew if I went to bed to early I would be awake early hours so I went for a wander. It didn’t take me to long to find a bar and as I walked in I was welcomed by 3 or 4 very beautiful girls. I sat at the bar and ordered a beer and two of the girls sat down with me. They asked me the same questions the cab driver had asked me and made general chit chat. By the time I finished my beer one of the girls was sat on my lap and the other one rubbing my shoulders. I made my excuses, well they weren’t really excuses as I was totally knackered, and headed back to the hotel alone. I grabbed a quick drink in the bar and then headed to bed.

Over the next few days I enjoyed laying in, usually until 10:00 before venturing out to for breakfast. After breakfast I would do a little shopping and generally look around before heading in search of Lunch. Lunch usually focused around beef in one form or another. After lunch I would head back to the hotel to drop my bags off and would then spend a few hours by the pool. Around 15:00 I would generally doze off and wake a couple of hours later ready to eat. I would grab a shower and change, not that it was really worth it as I within 30 seconds of leaving the hotel I would be sweating profoundly. I would then enjoy a few drinks and make small talk with the girls. They tried to teach me Thai and laughed at my mispronunciation.

Tuesday night I caught the night train from Bangkok to Champon. It was very similar to the train I caught from Mumbia to Goa although there were less bunks per carriage and a lot more space. I arrived in Chanpon about 04:30 Wednesday morning and was meet at the train station by the company that runs one of the ferries between Champon and Koh Tao. It was about a 20 minute drive from the train station to the ferry terminal and then we had an hours wait until the ferry left. Luckily there was a cafe which sold coffee and snacks.

The ferry took about 3 hours and I got talking to one of the deck hands who spoke very good English which passed the time. We reached the island of Koh Tao about 11:00 and it was a short walk along the beach to the dive school. Once at the school I filled in the paperwork and checked into my room. The room was quite basic, bathroom, double bed, TV, but it would do. I grabbed a shower and then headed off in search of some lunch. It wasn’t hard as there were only two main streets and every other building was a resturant which sold good old English food. It was fantastic sat in shorts and t-shirts looking out at the beach eating Sausage and Mash. After lunch I headed back to my room and grabbed a few hours sleep. I woke up and headed to the bar grabbed a drink and got chatting to the other people that would be on my course. We all had a few beers and then headed off for dinner.

The second day we all met up at 09:00 and headed for the class room and a morning of video’s and tests. We finished about 14:00 by which time I was starving so headed in search of lunch. The afternoon was spent in the swimming pool running through some of the basic skills. Over the next few days we headed out to sea a practices our skills before diving the various reefs and huntng down different fish, stingyrays, and turtles. The last dive of the PADI Open Water exam was a night dive, which was in my view one of the best. We headed out about 18:00 and arrived at the dive site just as the sun was setting. We entered the water, turned on our torches and desended. It was amazing as there seems to be a lot more around. As we surfaced we all looked up and the stars seemed so bright. We bobbed around for about 10 minutes just staring at the sky before returning to the boat.

The next day we started our advanced course, and more book work. Luckily it was just the morning and in the afternoon we headed out to do our first two dives. The first was fish ID, which as it says was all about identifying underwater sea life, whilst the second was navigation, and I think my sailing helped a little as I was familiar with a compass and found the tasks no problem at all. When we got back I elected to do another course, NITROX, which allows you to dive on a mixture of Oxygen and Nitrogen rather than air. The benefit of this is that you can stay under for longer periods. There was another exam but it was basically algothrims so was pretty easy.

The folowing day was the last two dives of the advanced course and probably the most fun after the night dive. The first was the deep dive, which basically sees how you are affected by Narcoisis. We reached just over 30 metres and nobody showed any signs. Quite disappointing really. The last dive I did with a Dive Propelled Vehicle. This allowed us to cover an awful lot more ground and use a lot less air as we weren’t expending as much energy. As I had completed the NITROX course we completed the last two dives on Nitrox we were down for about 40 minutes on each dive and still came up with enough for another 20 minutes, but had to surface as others were low on air. That afternoon we completed all our paperwork and recieved our tempory certificates.

The following day was my birthday so I decided on a different type of sporting activity, namely drinking until I fell down. I was accompanied by a number of the Dive Master and Instructors and got to bed about 01:00 the following morning after basically crawling my way around pubs all day. I was surprised when I woke up at 10:00 the following morning with only a mild headache, which was quickly resolved after a visit to the NITROX tank building. That afternoon I signed up for two last fun dives. We went back to places I had seen before but it was a lot more fun as we didn’t have to practice all the skills and I was put with an experienced diver. We were on air for both of these dives but were down for over 50 minutes each time. When we surfaced I still had enough for another 15-20 minutes. That evening I went for drinks with some of the Dive Masters and long term visitors who just couldn’t bring themselves to leave.

The following morning I packed, ate some lunch and then headed for the ferry port as my time on Koh Tao was over. As I sat there watching the ferry pull in I checked my BlackBerry and saw an email saying that I was needed in the UK as soon as possible. I made a couple of calls to find out what was going on, and then returned to my holiday. The ferry ride took about two hours and when I arrived at the ferry port in Koh Sumai I was greated by GIANT. No kidding you this guy was about 40” Tall and like 18 tons. Okay maybe not quite but you get the picture. I swallowed hard when he held up a card with the name of my hotel on it. I wanded over and said “Hi!” He introduced himself as Vince and lifed my suitcase, which by now did weight at least a ton, cleanly onto his shoulder. I followed him to the minibus, where he loaded my case into the back and then waved goodbye. It was about a 30 minute ride to the hotel and I was pretty knackered. Koh Sumia according to everyone is very touristy, and that’s the impression I got as we drove through what looked like little spain. We arrived at the hotel, which was right on the beach and I checked before grabbing a shower and change of clothes. I went for a short walk, but there wasn’t much about, apart from the normal gift shops. I headed to the hotel bar and order a drink and something to eat but struggled to finish them both, so called it quits and headed to bed.

The following morning I woke up about 10:00 felling a lot better but didn’t really have time to do anything as my flight was at 15:00. It was only 15 Minutes to the airport so I opted for a morning by the pool. I arrived at the airport on time, and enjoyed the whole experieince. Seriously I have never seen an airport like it. You felt as if you were on the beech. They even had free fruit juice, fruit, and pasteries.

We departed on time and 2 hours later landed back in Bangkok where I repeated the actions of my first day and grabbed a cab to the hotel. I had a 18:00 flight the following day but a 14:00 checkout and 3 hour airport checkin, so I grabbed something to eat and then hit the bars for one last night in Thailand, and the last steak for a while. I got to bed about 02:00 and woke about 11:00 the next day. After showing and packing I had a quick brunch and then checked out and headed back to the airport.

I arrived back in New Delhi at 21:00 Sunday night and was met by a very happy Karan. He couldn’t wait to tell me the good news about he and his wife having a baby son. I got back to the apartment about 22:00 and unpacked. Well I think most of the clothes walked to the laundry basket themselves. Then headed to bed.

See the Thailand Photos.

Tags: Beer, Birthdays, Family, Food, Friends, Fun, Holiday, Party, Photography, Shopping, Travel

After feeling rough mid-week I decided I needed to take it easy and stick to a plain (English) diet. Thursday I was feeling better (In as much as I could function) but by Friday I felt normal again, but decided not to have an easy weekend.

It was Mik Bedson's (Operations Director) last day Friday, before he fly's back to the UK to take up his new role, and as always it called for a party. The band he played with here in India gave a very good performance and Mik, his normal fun loving self, was soon there guitar in hand to join in the fun. Friday night there were drinks and joint dinner party for Mik and Nick De Vansey, who is also leaving shortly, at the DLF Golf and Country club where we all got to say goodbye, or see you in a few months for those of us following in his foot steps.

It was a lovely evening and a lovely venue and I got to catch up with a lot of people I only usually speak to across a meeting room. It was a nice and relaxed evening and I was home and tucked up in bed by 23:30. Click here for pictures.

Friday Chris, Sandra, and myself had made tentative plans to get out and do something on Saturday. So after a nice lay in Saturday morning Karan picked us up and we headed towards Delhi. We first of all headed to a dear park which we spent about an hour and a half walking around before stopping at a restaurant for lunch. After lunch we had about an hours walk around the rose garden before heading to Buddha Jayanti Park. This was an extremely large park that has been created along what is known as Delhi Ridge, which according to the guide book is the last outcrop of the Aravalli Hills extending northwards from Rajasthan.

After about 5 hours walking we were all pretty tired and had trouble keeping our eyes open during the drive back to Gurgaon. Once in Gurgaon we headed to Harriez for something to eat and lots of water as we were all feeling pretty dehydrated after all the walking. Click here for pictures.

Today I woke up about 09:00 and did the normal washing and called upon the services of the Ironing man (really need to find out his name before I leave). Now I am sitting down with a cheese and onion sandwich sorting out my trip to Thailand, oh and another trip I am looking at doing 1st-5th May to Khajuraho and a tiger reserve. More on that later!

Tags: Beer, Food, Friends, Fun, Party, People, Photography, Relaxing, Sickness, Sightseeing, Travel

Okay so after a 1 hour delay at London Heathrow I took my seat ordered my beer and decided on the movie I was going to watch (I am Legend - Don't bother). We arrived at New Delhi International airport about 1.5 hours late but I had managed to grab about 6 hours sleep so didn't feel to bad. Immigration wasn't to bad either, my bag was waiting for me on the belt, and Karan my driver was waiting outside; I was back at my apartment by 09:00 IST.

I had a little down time, unpacked, and grabbed something to eat before going to the office where I spent most of the day catching up on what had been going on while I was away and sorting through the email that had built up. I worked until 18:00 IST and then went to the spa for a sauna and dinner with Laurence and a few beers before returning home.

Tomorrow will be a normal day, but I need to go shopping and stock up on provisions (Beer, Vodka, Cheese, and Biscuits) but I think it will be a quite night so I can adjust my body clock. Until my next update I will just leave you with the comforting thought that I am back to wearing shorts and a t-shirt.

Tags: Travel

Okay so the week dragged, mainly as all I could think about was my trip home, but Thursday came before I knew it. I left the office and headed back to the apartment for a little lay down before grabbing a shower and a change of clothes. Karan picked me and my luggage up and we headed off to Dine Estey, where I met up with Laurence and Vikram for a few beers. I headed over to the Crown Plaza as I needed to see a friend of mine there, and there were a bunch of COLT people staying there who were on the same flight as me. I bumped into them just as I was leaving for the Airport and met them again in the check in queue.

After checking in and blagging a pass to the Business Lounge we had a few more beers before clearing security and boarding the plane. We took off on time and I had just enough energy to consume a few bottles of red wine and watch a film before passing out. I woke up about an hour from Heathrow and had enough time to have a coffee and a quick wash before we landed.

We landed on time and it all went pretty smoothly as I cleared immigration and collected my case. I exited the terminal and had about 10 minutes until the Rail Air coach arrived which was just enough time to get my nicotine levels back up to normal. The coach trip to Woking, and then the train trip to Basingstoke was straight forward with no waiting about and I was back at home about 10:00.

I grabbed a quick shower and changed, unpacked my bag, and then headed round to Mum and Dad's to say hello. Katrina and the kids dropped round about an hour later and I got to say hello to everybody. By the time lunch time arrived I didn't really know what planet I was on and decided to take a walk into town to get some fresh air. It was certainly fresh, so much so that my teeth chattered as i walked, but after I got going I warmed up a little and soon started to feel comfortable.

I walked around town not really looking at anything in particular, although I did stop off at Jessops to take a look at camera's before walking home via McDonalds and a large Big Mac Meal. I got home and laid on the couch watching TV, but could feel myself drifting off so decided to settle in the study and sort some of my post out. I got about 80% of it done, and realized that I needed a clear head to focus on the rest so started to take a look around the house and asses the work that needed doing.

The kitchen waste water system has fallen to pieces, and the garden fences came down in the storm a few weeks ago. The freezer had defrosted but thankfully Mum and Dad had thrown away the contents and installed 5000 air fresheners to get rid of the smell. The driveway and patio need weeding and cleaning, but otherwise things were in pretty good shape. The kitchen has needed redoing since I purchased the place, but has been usable, but I know that I will need to gut it and redo it completely when I return in August. Time to start saving!

So this morning (I think it's Saturday today) I woke up at 06:00 and thought I would take the car out for a run as it's been stood for a while. My suspicions where confirmed when I got in and tried to start it and the battery was flat. So I rang Jaguar and am now waiting for the man that can to turn up and sort it out. Once that's done I think I will take a drive to the supermarket and stock up on provisions. The only real plan after that is to meet up with Dad for a few beers.

Tags: Beer, Family, Food, Relaxing, Shopping, Travel

Okay well it's all confirmed and my flights are booked back to the UK for this Friday. I leave new Delhi on BA 0142 at 03:25 Friday 21st March and arrive at London Heathrow at 07:25 also on Friday (You got to love Time Zones some times), and I return to New Delhi on the 17:20 flight on the 6th April which gives me pretty much 17 days at home.

I am really looking forward to seeing everybody again and catching up on all the news and gossip, together with the odd home cooked meal.

Tags: Family, Travel

Okay you can now see the edited highlights of the Mumbia & Goa visit in the Movie Gallery.

For those involved the unedited DVD will be on sale for £1999.99 Excluding VAT (Victims Additional Tax).

Tags: Beer, Friends, Photography, Sightseeing, Travel

Okay so starting at the begining Karan picked Laurence and I up at 07:30 Saturday morning and we drove to the domestic airport terminal. Laurence, Sandra, and Chris all flew with SpiceJet but I was on a Go Air flight that was supposed to leave 5 minutes earlier, not that is the reason I booked it, I booked it because I wasn't paying attention. The flights were about an hour late taking off but we all arrived at Mumbia airport within minutes of each other and all met up outside. Leon, a friend of Chris and Sandra's, flew into Mumbia International from the UK and the hotel cab picked him up then came around to the domestic airport to collect us before we all headed to the Farias hotel where we checked in, dumped our bags, and meet by the pool for a few drinks and a late lunch. After lunch we headed off into Mumbia, checking out the Gateway to India on the way.

We wandered around the streets taking in the sights, sounds, and smells, before making our way towards the beech for a long walk along the promenade. We stopped off for 10 minutes to take a walk down to the sea. Laurence and I then headed to Leopolds bar for a few beers leaving Sandra, Chris, and Leon on the beech. We got to Leopolds and it was obvious we were not going to be able to eat as the queue for the restaurant was out the door and half way up the street. So we headed upstairs to the bar and ordered a couple of Budwiesers. The place was dark, crowded (mainly with ex-pats) and very very smokey. We were half way through our second beer when Sandra, Chris, and Leon walked in. We quickly decided we were all hungry and tired so we finished our beers and decided to walk back to the hotel for dinner. We walked, talked, and headed in the general direction of the hotel. We were just starting to doubt ourselves and a street kid came up to us offering to show us the way. We turned left and walked about 200 yards and we had arrived. Laurence gave him about 8 rupees (10p), and we all laughed at his demands for 20 as we headed for the hotel restaurant. We grabbed dinner and a few more beers before all heading to our respective rooms for an early night.

Sunday morning we met for breakfast by the pool and discussed the plans for the day. We decided to head off on a boat trip to an Island called Elephanta (http://www.sacred-destinations.com/india/elephanta-caves.htm). The island is basically a set of 5 temples all carved into the rock. They are pretty worn now, and any restoration that has been done hasn't done anything to preserve the beauty of the carvings etc, but we walked around all 5 caves and then up to a place called Cannon Hill. Named basically as it featured a large cannon on top of a hill. After a little rest and a bunch of photo's we headed back down the hill only stopping off for a quick soft drink. We were just in time for the 13:30 boat back and most people snoozed all the way. We arrived back at the hotel and met up with another friend of Chris and Sandra's called Scott who has setup camp in the bar. We dragged him out and up to the poolside bar where we had lunch and got to know each other over, yes you have guessed it, a few cold beers.

It was early evening by the time we set off out taking Scott to see the Gateway to India and the streets of Mumbia. We found one of the other hotels we had considered and decided to stop for cocktails and later dinner. We had to be at Mumbia train station for 23:00 so we all ordered stuff that we knew wouldn't take long to prepare, cook, and eat. We left the hotel and grabbed taxi's back to the Fariyas to collect our luggage and then drive us to the train station.

We arrived in good time but checking the boards we found the train was running 45 minutes late so we headed to a waiting room and waited it out. The train eventually arrived and we found our bunks. We made ourselves at home and then sat back and took in everything that was going on around us, you know the call for Coffee, Tea, and Chicken Lollipops, before eventually succumbing to tiredness and falling asleep.

We woke up Monday morning traveling through some beautiful countryside and it all looked so much more civilized. I decided to go for a smoke and stood by one of the open carriage doors watching the landscape rush by. We arrived about two hours later and booked a couple of pre-paid cabs for the journey to the hotel. It was so nice seeing different (non-city) scenery and now I felt like I was on holiday. We arrived at the Oceanique Hotel about 45 minutes later and by this time we all needed a little down time. We had slept on the train, but maybe not as well as any of us would have in our own beds. We checked in and the first thing I needed was a shower and a shave. I came back down to find Leon, Scott, and Laurence by the pool and it took no effort to join them lying there in 33 degrees as they organized the drinks.

After a swim and a few beers we headed out in search off food by way of the beech. Sandra, Chris, and Scott has gone ahead of us and had found "Bob's Bar", or something like that. Laurence, Leon, and myslef had waited for Ndidi, who had flown in from Delhi that morning, and then walked down to join them. We took our seats and enjoyed some great food and yes a few more cold beers. We sat, we talked, and we watched the ocean before heading back to the hotel for some more R&R agreeing to meet up later in the bar. Well after a shower (yes another one, well it was hot) I wandered down to the bar and ordered a beer. My intention was to have one, maybe two, and then go exploring as I wasn't tired. It didn't quite work out that way. I was about halfway through my first beer when Ndidi walked in. She wasn't tired either, having only flown the couple of hours from Delhi. She was closely followed by Laurence, Leon, Scott, Sandra, and Chris. Now after this things are a little bit of a blur. I remember sometime later we decided it was time to head out for dinner and I remember walking into town with the gang. I also remember saying to Chris that I wasn't hungry and was going off exploring. The basic upshot was that I had figured out I was rat assed and needed to go to bed. So I wandered back to the hotel, stopping off for a beer or two on the way, and once back at the hotel I promptly passed out. I am told that the rest of them bar Chris and Sandra didn't fair much better as they were drinking until about 02:00 Tuesday morning.

Tuesday morning I found Chris, Sandra, Scott, and Ndidi in the restaurant having breakfast. Sandra had arranged for cab's into old Goa. Chris, Sandra, Scott, and Myself headed off in the first cab about 10:30 and the others left about 11:00 in the second cab.

Goa was invaded and occupied by the Portuguese and is predominately Roman Catholic. We looked around ruins of old Churches and some of the older churches and cathedrals that are still very much in use, before heading down to the Quay and the admiralty arch that most of those that came here entered through. We then headed back towards the hotel as Sandra, Chris, Scott, and Leon were all due to leave. Scott and Leon for Jaipur and Chris and Sandra for Delhi.

We decided however there was enough time for lunch if we went straight there and that's exactly what we did. Well Sandra, Chris, Scott, and myself. Leon walked down from the hotel as they had got back before us and went for a final dip in the ocean, and Ndidi and Laurence walked down to say goodbye. I got the cab back to the hotel with Chris, Sandra, Scott, and Leon, and opted for a few hours by the pool.

A couple of hours later, a subtle shade of red, hot, and sweaty I decided on a shower followed by a couple of cold beers. Laurence met me in the bar and we headed down to the beech to find a bar and food. Ndidi was going to catchup with us as she had a massage booked. We sat, drank, ate and then bar hopped our way back to the hotel.

Wednesday morning I woke and the guys had arranged to go and see a spice market. I had already toured the Delhi spice market and decided a day by the pool and on the beech was in order, and we agreed to meet up at the airport.

I spent a couple of hours laying by the pool before heading off to the beech. I spent my last 5 hours sitting on the beech, swimming in the sea, and sitting at a beech bar with a cold beer watching the world go by, before getting a cab to the airport to meet up with Laurence and Ndidi.

We had a good flight back, and I slept all the way. Laurence's driver picked us up at Delhi Airport and dropped us all back home.

Thursday, Friday, Saturday I chilled out at home, did a little shopping, got my hair cut, and drank some more beer. I think tomorrow I might venture to the gym!

Checkout the Photo's, and over the next few days I intend to cut the footage together I shot with the Handycam and upload that to the Movie Gallery.

Otherwise check out some of the photo's the others took;

• Chris's Photo's.

Tags: Beer, Food, Friends, Fun, Relaxing, Sightseeing, Travel

Okay so today I am feeling rough and very sorry for myself. Chris, Sandra, Laurence, and myself went out to dinner last night at a place called Charcoal, which sells steaks. We all had the same thing, a medium steak with peppercorn source, but this morning I haven't stopped throwing up and my stomach is on fire. The annoying thing is that everybody else is fine, which makes me think maybe it wasn't the dinner, but maybe what I had for lunch. Either way it's time I can't really afford out of the office as I am away next week.

So Saturday morning we (Chris, Sandra, Laurence, and Myself fly from Delhi's domestic airport to Mumbia (formally Bombay). Two of Chris's friends join us Saturday in Mumbia and we have Saturday and sunday to look around before getting the night train down to Goa where we have a few day's rest and relaxation. Chris and Sandra fly back Tuesday, and Chris's friends fly onto Jaipur. Laurence and myself are staying on an extra day and fly back Wednesday evening. I then have the remainder of the week to generally chill out.

So the upshot is that this is the last post until probably next Thursday, but hopefully I will have some great stories and photo's to share.

Tags: Sickness, Travel

Okay so I arrived back safe and sound in India yesterday morning. The flight was an hour late taking off but was very smooth. I fell asleep more or less straight after sitting down and woke up about 5 hours later which made the flight a lot easier. Karen my driver picked me up from the airport and drove me back to my apartment. It has cooled down quite a bit here now and coming out of the airport I needed my jacket on.

I got back to my apartment about 08:00 IST, unpacked, and grabbed a shower. I then chilled out out on the sofa for a couple of hours before making my way into the office. I spent most of the day trying to sort out my email and catching up in general before heading to a nearby bar with Vikram, Chris, and Sandra for a few beers.

I woke up this morning with a clear head but feeling very tired and have spent most of the day trying not to yawn and operating in a foggy haze. Today it has been very cool and I have been wearing a jumper to keep the chill off. Tonight I am going to order a Pizza and watch TV for a couple of hours (I am trying to stay awake so I can adjust my body clock) but I don't think it will be a late one tonight. I am aiming for 21:00.

Tags: Travel, Beer

Okay so this week has been the slowest week since I arrived here. Not that its been any less busy, time just seems to have gone by slower. I think it's something to do with flying home for two weeks holiday tomorrow morning.

Well It has been a little quieter this week, if not on the work front, on the social front. Tuesday night Chris and Sandra hosted a Mexican food party as we had some visitors over from the UK. I think everybody had a good time, but we all looked a little jaded on Wednesday. Wednesday night was a quiet night in to recover and tonight I am getting an early night as I am on the early flight out.

I must admit I am looking forward to a rest and catching up with everyone again, not to mention a nice juicy steak. That said I am not looking forward to the weather, I have got used to walking round in shorts.

Well that's it for now. Next update will be from the UK.

Tags: Travel

Okay so I flew back from India yesterday on the 08:15 flight, arriving at London Heathrow about 13:30. I made my way home and enjoyed a well earned shower and a change of cloths before unpacking and setting up the home office again.

I tried to sit down and type a couple of reports that I had worked on during the journey, but my mind was fried so I popped round to my parents (who I had forgotten to tell when i was coming home exactly) and gave them the account of my adventure so far.

By 20:30 I couldn't keep my eyes open any longer and crashed. This morning of course I was up ad ready to rock at 05:00.

So this morning I have had a chance to look around the house and figure out that the kitchen waste water system is completely shot and needs replacing, the garden now resembles something out of an African adventure film and all the little items I need are now in India. So I while I wait for the shops to open so that I can get some provisions I am sat here making lists of the things I need to buy and do before I return to India.

Later on this morning however is an annual festival called "Balloons over Basingstoke" which I am going to go and see with my nephew William. I'll post some pictures later. Otherwise today I am going to generally chill out before launching into paperwork etc tomorrow.

Tags: Travel

Okay, so I think the jet lag caught up with me. I really felt it yesterday and in the end just spent the day in the hotel room. I went to bed around 22:00 but work up again at 23:30 and couldn't get back to sleep until about 02:00. I woke up at 10:00 this morning and forced myself out of bed and into the shower.

About 11:30 I met up with Lawrence and he showed me around the local malls and supermarkets, and explained how a few things worked. We grabbed some lunch and he got his driver to drop me back at the hotel. I've done a little bit of work ready for tomorrow morning, but plan on going for a swim about 16:30 when it's cooled off a couple of degrees (Currently 37c) and generally chilling out for the rest of the day.

I really need to sort out somewhere to live and arrange a driver. You wouldn't believe the traffic over here, it's just mad. Dad if you imagine Vietnam substitute cars for bikes and times by 3 your pretty close.

Another funny thing is the power over here is extremely unreliable. It doesn't matter where you are the power fails 3-4 times a day. It's strange at first but you kind of get used to it.

Tags: Travel

Okay so my first week, well it certainly has been busy. My alarm call is 06:30 and after a shower and a shave I head for breakfast which is either Corn-flakes, toast, coffee, and lime juice or corn-flakes, yogurt, coffee, and lime juice. After that I grab a cab to the offices which aren't that far away arriving about 07:45.

07:45 until 09:00 is catch up email and stuff that I should have done yesterday time. At 09:00 the jaws of hell open and I enter with a smile which I maintain some how until about 21:00. I then grab cab back to the hotel where I try and eat dinner without looking at my blackberry before sitting down with my email for another couple of hours, usually heading for bed around 01:00.

Today, Saturday it all caught up with me and I laid in until 11:00 even when I did get up I just milled around the hotel room for several hours. About 15:00 I thought I better do something so I jumped in the shower and went for a stroll around the hotel.

I'm now sat in the business lounge writing this up and wondering what I can do this afternoon. I have put a new photo album in the photo gallery but at this point in time it only has the pictures I have taken out of my hotel room window and of the hotel room itself. I promise more next week.

Tags: Travel

Well I eventually got to the hotel and checked in by about 13:30 this morning. The hotel is fairly new and I lucked out with a free upgrade to one of the executive suites. It was a bit dark last night to take any pictures but I will take some at the weekend (It's too messy first thing in the morning) Anyway by the time I had unpacked and grabbed a shower it was nearer 02:00.

I didn't sleep very well, just a strange bed I think, but the sound of horns didn't help to much. I think I woke up every hour on the hour until 06:15 when I got up. Of course the wake up alarm came just as I was about to get in the shower.

After breakfast in the hotels new business lounge I headed for the travel desk to book my car to the office. As I walked out the building the heat really hit me, and apparently today is quite a mild day. A pretty uneventful and short jorney later saw me arrive at the office where I had to tackle the obvious language barrier and 324 secuirty guards who were all looking for something to do.

Well I am not sure what happened in the next twelve and a half hours but all I know now is it 20:00 local time and I am on my second cold beer writting this. Well hopefully things will start to sort themselves out from here but for now I will say good bye, no I will say until later.

Tags: Travel