Feeling rejuvinated now that I'm back in Indian city-life, I bring you my 3rd blog installment from the coastal city of Mangalore. Mangalore is considerably smaller than my previous city, Mumbai, although that doesn't mean to say that it isn't still chaos on the roads - thats just India for you I guess.

I got here by another sleeper coach, without air conditioning this time. Not an experience I'd like to repeat again too soon. It's a shame then that I have another one tonight. I'd like to give you an insight into just how grousome these journeys are, with particular reference to my latest journey. You'll often be lying there hunched between 3 or 4 other fully grown men in a space barely big enough for 2 and some of these thoughts will commonly spring into your mind:

"Is somebody stroking my feet?"

"Get your elbow out of my skull."

"Stop snoring. Stop snoring. Stop snoring."

"To spoon or be spooned?"

and then as you go hurtling through the air when the coach inevitably will slam on the breaks, "Oh no, I'm going to die." Well, maybe not that. Maybe something a little more animated but to the same effect. It makes me wonder why they call them 'sleeper' buses at all as the driver seems determined to not allow you to close your eyes without fearing for your life.

Once I got here however, I decided that Palolem was a bit of a waste of time. I wouldn't truely describe that as travelling and there was more than enough socially oblivious Western tourists to make me feel a little ashamed. I'm now pleased to be back in action in Mangalore. Although I've only been here for a day and a half, I can see that it's a small, vibrant bustling town with not a hint of aggression. The people here are really friendly and will help you at almost any cost. The only thing that this place doesn't have going for it is the roads. Streets all over are essentially in pieces, with stacks of rubble everywhere. Perhaps that has something to do with the rough ride I had into the city on that sleeper bus.

So my plan is to see out the rest of the day here before another bus tonight to Ernakulam. I'm not especially looking forward to the journey as you can probably tell, i dont even got to lie down on this one.. At least I'll have a seat belt though!