Namaste!

News Thank you for your patience! 

• As you may have heard, I got the 'Delhi belly' in India, which lasted 2 weeks, from which I've now 99% recovered (although alcohol still doesn't go down well ). So now I have the energy to sort through my piccies and videos and put them up :)
• I passed the N4 Level JLPT Japanese Proficiency exam, which I took back in December, with an A grade. So next up is the N3 level in July. I'm currently taking 4 hours of lessons a week!
• I'm into my last 3 weeks at Aeon (finish on March 26th) and 2 weeks remaining at my flat (March 21st), and as such I'm a walking ball of stress as I haven't secured a job or apartment yet.. Even my birthday has been set aside. Let's hope that sorts itself out soon!!!!
  Edit: I have accepted the job offer I received and have put in a request for a lovely (though a little expensive) tatami-style room in a suburban area- approx 25 mins commute door-to-door.

Okay, so here's all about my trip!!

India

I flew out to India for only 5 days, to which everyone seemed to comment that it was such a short vacation, but perhaps I'm not one of those people who can take long vacations. I'm satisfied that I saw what I wanted to see, though of course it would have been nice to have spent more time hanging out with the lovely Kartik (my University friend with whom I stayed and travelled).

I left snowy Tokyo to be met with a HOT India. It was just like Japan in July, and just like the UK in urm, never mind.

I spent my first day in Hyderabad, India's sixth most populous city located in pretty much the centre of the country.

We ventured out into the city in the window-less and equally air-con-less Auto rickshaws, whose livelyhoods involve constantly weaving and dodging in and out of danger's path. No lanes, rules,or sense of fear makes for a crazy commute!

On the first afternoon in Hyderabad we had some yummy northen Indian food, complete with a 'finger bowl',  and picked up some Punjabi-style clothes for me (pictures later), then we ventured back at night to face the markets in the centre. Being pretty much the only foreigner in sight, and as such being assumed to be rich (which to be fair in comparison I am), I was bombarded with people selling the same merchandise all along the street. I never want to hear the word "madam" ever again!


After Kartik and I got some nice bracelets at a bargain price (Kartik likes breaking out his haggling powers), we went to the train station to begin our overnight journey to the National Heritage site of Hampi, south-East India.
The journey began by walking down the platform itself, I'd never seen such a long train, it took us several minutes to find our car!

What better way to pass the time than playing cards?!

10 hours and some sleep later, we arrived in Hampi..

We hopped into an Auto and traveled through the village to our hotel.

Paradise!

Hampi was a thriving city of the Vijayanagar Empire with possibly as many as 500,000 inhabitants until the middle of the16th Century. It was unfortunately pillaged and abandoned in 1565, leaving the fantastic  ruins of a once bustling metropolis. Hampi is a cluster or several villages all nestled between both lush paddy fields and huge boulders on the desert-like plateau.

I think photos will do better justice than words..

Rice field workers, on Monkey Mountain and riding a coracle (which come from Wales!)

Animals!

Virupaksha Temple

A statue of Narasimha, the Lotus Palace and the Elephant Stables

(Centre) Hampi's most famous feature, the Stone Chariot of Vishnu

(Centre) Thai flashback: Being asked to have a picture taken with Indian tourists..

Watching the beautiful second sunset from atop Malyavanta Hill

Delhi belly.. In stark contrast to these photos of beauty and majesty, the following night on a 12 hour train journey accompanied by a crying baby, included endless waves of nausea, little-to-no-sleep and dashes to the not so-lovely-loo on the train. I regret to report that the following day was wasted with naps and a bit of socialising with Kartik's friends, which took all my energy..

Singapore

I made it to Singapore and survived the flight with nothing in my stomach due to the only meal choice being curry, which was what had made me so ill. Thanks for that, Silk Air.

Anyway, Changi Airport is SO COOL. Free movies, sweets, 3D gaming, free internet access, a giant tv, a butterfly garden, and apparently a free massage (which I didn't indulge in, sorry).

It also offered a free City Tour, so once I cleared Immigration, I headed out into the city on the earliest tour.

Singapore is a beautiful country. "From poverty to paradise in one generation" to quote our charismatic tour guide. It is crazily compact, and has very low unemployment and homelessness.

It boasts the world's tallest London Eye-type ferris wheel, the world's tallest swimming pool and, well, one of the world's three most disappointing landmarks, the Merlion fountain (the other two apparently being The LittleMermaid statue of Denmark and Brussels's Manneken Pis).

The world's tallest swimming pool (right)
and a snap of the audience stands of the Formula 1 race course from the bus window (left)

Japan

A few hours and several movies later and back in Japan,  I was hit by snow, which caused my plane to be delayed and I only just made it on the last train home!

Sick and cold, I took this picture in the snow.

Despite getting sick, it was really awesome to see Kartik again, and I'd never been anywhere like Hampi before, it was SO beautiful, and I watched my first ever sunset from a breathtaking place. I had a great time in such a short vacation, happy times!

Thanks for reading, and love to you all xxxxxxx

India holiday

Update: Thursday morning: I've made it to India safe-and-sound! Got picked up from the airport successfully by Kartik, and I got some sleep at his house. 

Update:  Wednesday 10:55am GMT: I'm at Singapore airport safely, just a few hours to go! I'm so excited!! :D I'll re-post to say I got there safely tonight :)

Hello to my family!! I'm so, so sorry I've continued with my procrastination and laziness and have yet to send out Christmas/New Years postcards. Let's hope they find themselves in your letterboxes sometime before March.. ;_;

Let's have some News: 

As you may or may not know, I'm going to India!! Here's the itinerary so that you know what I'm doing:

• Wednesday 9th: Tokyo Narita- Singapore leaving at11.30am (2.30am GMT)
  Singapore - Hyderabad, India leaving at 21.25 (12.25pm GMT)
  Kartik, my University buddy, will pick me up from the airport, we'll stay at his.
  For info on Hyderabad click here.
• Thursday 10th: Kartik and I'll make our way by train to Hampi to stay overnight and see the ruined city. I have received vaccinations and have stong mosquito repellent so don't worry!
• Monday 14th Hyderabad - Singapore depart at 00.20 (Sunday 15.20 GMT). During my transit at Singapore, will take a free city tour as my transit is for 9 hours :D
  Depart for Tokyo Haneda airport at 15.40 (00.40GMT)
• Tuesday 15th If I miss my last train as I get into Tokyo so late, I've arranged for a super-kind student to pick me up.

My next update will be to confirm my arrival in India, and my next post should bring you the Letter G in my 'A to Z of Japan series.' It's been a while, sorry.