Missed

Im back in Denmark. Very unusual for the season, here's still snow. My sabbatical year is over, the money has (almost) been spent and new things are to happen. I'll be considering the options quite a bit over the next months, some will happen here as well.

But for now, you'll get a picture of me and the guy, who's missed me the most: my dad. With a smile as his for welcome it's quite alright to be home (for a while)...

Location:Mølledalen,Værløse,Danmark

Suggestions

I've always loved the Indian governments (fairly unsuccessful) tries to improve the safety on the roads in this country.

In my earlier post about my morning cycling, I posted this poetic favourite:
No race
No rally
Enjoy the beauty of the valley

Another favourite I got on the road to Darjeeling:
Donate blood in blood bank
Not on this road

And finally this classic one:
Life is short
Dont make it shorter

But well, of course I got some pics for you as well. Shot while I were driving from camp to Dehradun airport yesterday (we'll take the sentimental part about it being for the last time on this trip later).

A humble - please observe traffic rules thanks

Matter of factly - Speed thrills but kills

Almost too obvious - Accidents hurt - Safety doesn't

Practical - better late than never

Value based - time is money but life is precious

Play on words #1 - Short cuts may cut short your life

And finally the newest among my favourites:

Play on words #2 - It's better to lose one minute in life than to lose life in a minute

Location:The road from Atali/camp to Rishikesh

Meeting strangers...

One of the best things about travelling is the people you meet, often by coincidence. Saturday was one of those days.

I'd had an epic welcoming to Mumbai Friday night with a thorough sightseeing at the city's bars and clubs with good friends as guides and were pretty zonked. Therefore, Laila had taken off hours earlier and when I finally got up and out, I had a couple of hours of strolling by myself in the area Colaba with several food and coffee pitstops.

I had lunch at Leopold's - a famous restaurant, not least due to it's central part in the best-seller Shantaram. Very recommendable novel by the way, not due to it's literary qualities that are few, but because of the incredible (true) story.

Due to the fame, Leopold's is an extremely busy place, so if you get there as a single visitor, you're asked whether you mind sharing the table with other singles (not necessarily for match making). I didn't and where shown to the spot opposite of Laurence from Durban in South Africa. Laurence owns a take away hub at home, which his wife is looking after while he's on holiday. Laurence were in Bombay (yup the name shifts all the time just as for the locals - officially renamed Mumbai in 1996, but Bombay is still alive) for a week, stayed at a hotel around the corner, had eaten all his meals so far in the same restaurant, found Bombay extremely hectic and hence, didn't really move much around. He'd ordered chili chicken, because he'd seen someone else getting it, when he entered the restaurant and thought it looked delicious (it is, but also pretty much the most spicy you'll get in India). He has 2 kids and to grandkids and therefore believed it was safe for me to talk to him. I thought so too - grand kids or not. We had a nice conversation for an hour and I got a picture.

I weren't really ready for activities, so fairly shortly after Leopold's, I moved on to Starbucks. Again, I only took up one of the two chairs at a table, so when Rana (of course I didn't know his name at that point) asked if he could use the other chair, of course it was yes.

I were busy writing a blog post, so it wasn't till I'd finished the coffee, we started talking. He had the coolest camera and since my old, but big SLR was lying on the table, it didn't take long to find our common interest. It turned out he was a photo journalist at Times of India and has made some interesting features about pollution scandals in India. I had to go as I were meeting Laila, but I got his email address and a promise of him sending me the articles.

And now, Im in the airport in Mumbai on my way back up to the mountains for a few days - and hence no web access. This will be a week of many farewells and see yous - Im not particular good at that...

Location:Empty tables, Colaba, Mumbai

Win a luxury car

Location:Gateway of India, Mumbai

Love from India - impressions from my first day in Mumbai

Love from India

Leaving an impression

Lucky car

Flowers in the concrete

Happiness is meeting up with good friends after a long time

Location:B K Boman Behram Marg,Mumbai,India

How to conquer a fort

If you've been considering to conquer Daulatabad Fort, you'll probably find these recommendations useful...

First of all, it is important that you enter from the right side of the fort. The rock formation, on which the fort is located, has been cut and shaped so it has a 60 meter steep wall, almost all the way around. Also, keep an eye out for cannon balls from about 15 kilometers ahead of the fort.

Bring both elephants and camels. The elephants for breaking the gates. The camels to be used as "pillows" between the elephant and poisoned nails on the gates. Bring plenty of camels. They are only usable for one gate each.

Find some, who can tell you which of the 59 gates are the right ones to get you through the four walls into the main fort. There are 52 fake gates.

Fake gate.

Be aware that the elephants may find it hard to gain speed between the gates as they are constructed in uneven angles. And as we all know, elephants needs at least 250 meters to get to their maximum pace.

Oh yes, and this is very important: do bend your head, when you're coming up the stairs after passing the moat. Chances are that some guy will be sitting there and chop your head off.

From now on look out for:

• Fake corridors leading to slides that will take you to the moat.
• Fake corridors leading to exits, where your head gets chopped off when passing and your body can be thrown out from the fort.
• Fake circular corridors made to get you attack your own guys.
• The completely black stairs with very high and uneven steps. All light comes from trick windows made to get you jump out in front of an armed man or just falling down a slide to the Valley of Death.
• The uneven steps, 1 up, 2 down that are made to get you to stumble.
• The stumbling stones, when you turn around a corner and not watching your step.
• Also look out for the boiling oil, which may be poured down the wall.
• And finally there's the 467 steps up to the biggest cannon at the top...

If you get there, it's fairly pretty, though ...

Ps: if you succeed in conquering the fort by attack, you'll be the first.
Pps: If your visiting Daulatabad Fort without intentions of attack, I can highly recommend a tour with the guide Bhaskar Pokhari:

Location:Daulatabad Fort, Aurangabad, Maharastra

Starlet behavior

I've always gotten lot of attention in India. Im white (and in Indian terms blonde), Im taller than the average Indian (170 cm) and then Im traveling without a husband. My lovely wide brimmed hat hasn't reduced the attention on this trip (though Laila, who's dressed traditionally Indian isn't avoiding it either).

Hence, I've ended up in many Indian photo albums over the years, and by principle I say yes to all asking to take a picture off or with me - I take so many pictures myself of Indians and India that it's fair they're getting a few back.

Or rather, I did until a few days ago - lately I've had to make some restrictions.

1. If Im listening to a guide it is not ok to interrupt to get a picture. Please wait till the guide has finished.
2. One picture - not ten.
3. I will not move for the photo - they'll have to come to me.
4. When there's 30 in line, I might end the photo session so I can move on...

Even with these limitations, I've still had more than 100 pics clicked of me and strangers over the past couple of days...

Just to show that Im not exaterating, here's the view from one of yesterday's sessions. Taken secretly at hip level. We stopped the session after five minutes.

I am by the way awfully aware of how much I'll miss the attention when Im back in Denmark and walking around completely unnoticed.

And writing of photos, there's another feature, which is quite nice. Some Indians don't have their own camera, but still like to be clicked. Those I always say yes to - no matter how many asking.

No, it isn't Taj Mahal.

And some times these situations lead to absolutely wonderful pictures:

Location:In front of a camera somewhere...