Happy New Year to you all. I have now arrived in Goa. Since December 30 I have experienced a lot - and indeed the social contrast of India.

I went out to dine with Stine and Soeren (the young danish couple) and we had a very cosy time. The 31. we went to Elephanta Island together and had a good time there as well. When we got back to Colaba, Mumbai, I quickly went to get my stuff at my hotel and grabbed a cab heading North (Santacruz, where Oliver lives). Staying at this hotel really shows the social differences: 55 pct. of Mumbai's population (around 20 mio.) lives in slum. People literary sleep on the street and have nothing. And then there, at the same time, live people who are some of the riches people in the world and can afford everything. This Grand Hyatt Hotel, where Oliver lives, is huge! and the pool is sooo nice :) We went to a New Year house party down South (drove down there by Oliver's private driver) held by a daughter of a former Bollywood songstar. This house was amazing. Bollywood stars are incredible big here in India - to Indians they are much much bigger than Hollywood stars. We were 4 Danes and 2 German guys together with 40-50 upper class Indian people - really upper class. It was fun to experience this side of India as well, even though it isn't "the real" India. New Year in India is not at all like New Year at home - no countdown and no firecrackers, which was a shame. But we had a good time anyway - Oliver had made sure that we had champagne at least :)

The 1. of January 2009 I spent by the lovely pool and afterwards I drove to Mumbai's central station to buy train tickets heading Goa. I was "headhunted" and paid too much, but I know how to do the next time because of advice from a southafrican family - very fine persons by the way. I also met a middle-aged couple from Canada (french speaking) who I drove with to Panjim (Goa's capital) - they were going further and paid for the entire cab ride. Very nice of them. I've found a hotel which is recommended by Lonely Planet. It is however very expensive! But that is due to the season which is at its highest at the moment. Damn. I'll be there two nights and in the meantime I'll try to find a cheaper one. Now I am just trying to localize myself. I don't really know where to go at the moment, but I'll find out :)

I have by the way bought an Indian phone with sim-card. It works really fine and is very very cheap. I can actually call to Denmark for only 0,77 DKK/min! But it was truly and experience to buy the phone. I asked at my hotel in Colaba where a boy walked me to a shop. They had to get passport details (which they for some reason need everywhere) and a passport photo, so I had to get passport photos taken and then bring back. An Indian street salesman who had helped buying my phone claimed that it would take 15 mins before you could check if the new phone works, so he invited me on a cup of chai tea. The phone worked. But now he wanted to show me a tempel nearby Marine Drive, so I asked how long it would take to go there because of my dinner appointment at 7pm with Stine and Soeren, whose numbers I didn't have. He said 5 mins walk, so I went with him. But 5 mins in India is NOT 5 mins in Denmark or alike. We walked and walked and walked, and after half an hour I asked how much more we had to walk before we arrived. He said "just a minute"... When the time said 20 mins to 7pm I told him that I had to go back. He was very disappointed :) But he walked me back to Colaba causeway and I made it to 7'o'clock - a bit stressed out however.

The train trip from Mumbai to Goa was actually cosy because of the nice people I met. It took almost 12 hours but it seemed like no time because I slept for 10,5 hours or so :) It was a overnight journey..

Things I have found out about India so far:
- They drive like maniacs! But it seems pretty safe to be in the traffic in India, though. Maybe because of the low speed.
- India smells fantastic - I look forward to try out the Indian cuisine more in the following days
- Everybody wants tip! Even if they've done nothing really to help you

I have got used to traveling alone in India and I love it actually. The first day in India I fell a bit lonely - I did. But now I'm all good about it - so no worries at home :)

I have problems with putting my pictures into the computer but I'll try another computer in a minute so they may be on this blog soon.

Take care all of you.

Signe