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Date:
January 22, 2003
For those of you tracking me:
As you know I have skipped most of Turkey, Iran and Afghanistan because
of the politics of war. Aside from the dangers to an American in this
part of the world it would have been a long desolate ride. I didn't
really ever want to bicycle this section so I don't regret skipping it.
However, being an idealist I am saddened to have missed the education
it would have provided in my world view. For this reason, I am heading
to Delhi in a few hours to secure visas to Nepal, China (Tibet). (This
45 hour train ride is sure to drive me mad.) I am considering heading
over the Himalaya mountains, onto the plateau and perhaps following one
of the rivers down to Laos. Frankly, based upon my experiences in the
Andes, I think I am too weak. But, I really don't want to skip ahead
again, landing in the only logical place in terms of cheap airfare,
Bangkok, Thailand, a country that rumor says has sold its soul to the
sex tourism trade. My own indulgences in hedonism have not proved very
satisfying.
Another option is flying to Hong Kong and backtracking around northern
Vietnam, into Laos, Cambodia, Thailand, Singaopore, Malyasia, island
hopping through Indonesia until I reach Australia (I have 7 months
before my Aussie visa expires) and finishing in New Zealand.
More details in Delhi. Now I am in Bangalore, the technology center of
India. It is a very nice, modern city that is hard to recognise as
India. I have been eating like a pig, chocolate, ice cream, fresh
salads, cheese and beer everyday. There is not much food in the
countryside. I was really sick -- literally -- of eating the bread,
bean and vegetable combinations which are frequently fried, spicy and
covered in flies. And, i have spent most of my time in the hotel room
watching movies.
Scott
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