From: "Philip Merryman" <phil_merryman@hotmail.com>

Date: Fri Feb 08, 2002 06:04:14 AM Etc/GMT

Subject: G'day from Down Under

Hi everyone,

I arrived here in Perth yesterday afternoon after 24 hours continuous travelling. From the Delhi Youth Hostel to the Hotel here I used: Auto Rickshaw (tuk-tuk), Aircraft, Shuttle Coach, Aircraft, another Aircraft, Shuttle coach. Sleep minimal!! Apart from Aus-NZ, this is the shorter of the multi-plane hops!! Anyway all passed of OK, me and rucksack both arrived intact and in the same place!!

However the hotel has an "English" bar attached. So supper was steak sandwich (no beef in India) and two pints of Bass!!! (an English beer to my non-UK friends). However, this being Australia the beer wasn't warm enough!! :-) My body is still saying "goodbye" to India and now has the reverse culture shock as I also has a full cooked breakfast this morning!!

India Post Script:

The Indian Security is very sensive at the moment. I must have had my bags searched at least 5 or 6 times in all the Indian Airports: Delhi Domestic, Mumbai Domestic and Mumbai International. Understandable given the current situation there. However they had a fixation over batteries! They kept on asking if we had any batteries and equipment with batteries in. They were taking dry-cell batteries out of bags and equipment (and keeping them!). However if you had dedicated or special batteries (eg: rechargables) then that was OK! This is odd as it is inconsistent, and with so many things these days needing batteries could be a real problem to travellers. All my AA batteries were deep in my rucksack. When put through the X-Ray machine the young (Indian) Qantas handler agent at Mumbai said that hopefully the operator wouldn't see them in the X-Ray!!!!! Talking to an Indian lady on the Singapore flight she had no idea as why they were fixated with batteries. She even suggested that they may be racketeering (her word) in batteries and that "nothing would surprise me in this country" (her words again). Anyway, I still have all my batteries! Though the number of times the bags have been X-rayed I hope the films are OK!!

The last couple of days in India I transferred to the Delhi Youth Hostel. This is a surprisingly good place. Meals available (Rs 20 breakfast, Rs30 Evening meal) and was simple but wholesome and a reasonable quantity! Using the Internet to book means that you end up in a dorm (other options usually not provided on booking page). So on arrival I asked if it was possible to upgrade to a room (preferable with my equipment from the security point of view. It was (place not exactly full) and so I paid the extra (Rs500 for both nights) and ended up with en-suite with TV!!!! OK its not the Hilton but was perfectly good enough.

I went for a walk to the nearby parliament buildings. Now being the ONLY western tourist about, and the only obvious tourist of any sort, I was a magnet for the tuk-tuk drivers who all wanted to take me somewhere!! It seems that they regard feet as a threat to business as they do not seem to grasp the idea that you actually want to WALK!! I saw some of them more that once!! But then, as the only white person, and wearing my white sun hat, I wasn't exactly inconspicuous!!! Even protestations about being a marathon runner and needing to keep fit didn't work!! However, as with all these guys its all good natured banter. Some of them like to tell you about their relatives in the UK and when they were last there as well!

The government buildings are surrounded with soldiers on guard duty. They are placed in ones and twos in entrances etc. Again understandable after the events of Dec 13th. I was able to take some photos, but was politely asked not to, or to move on, by a very nice man with a rifle if I got too close!!!

The next day I went to the Delhi Railway Museum. Lots of interesting stuff on show for us train buffs!!! Later I went to the Nehru museum, which details his life and the influence of him and Ghandi in the establishment of India as an independent nation. All interesting stuff as well.

Back in the Hostel I got talking to a French American. He was a Bhuddist and he visited Asia about six months each year. Both he and his wife (who was staying home this time) are some of the senior people (if that is the right phrase) for their temple back home (which I think was France). However, amongst many topics we covered, he feels that Harry Potter is a threat to Christainity. Lord of the Rings as well!! He feels theyt are pandering to the increasing public interests in witchcraft and the occult. I didn't argue with him beyond saying that I thought that they were just escapist fun. His reply was that it was OK for me because I didn't take it seriously, but that many people will! He thought the Harry Potter film poorly made and boring anyway! However he was a really nice and interesting chap.

Later that evening I talked with a Dutch traveller from Rotterdam! Small world that it is. He had just arrived for three weeks. He arranged to come with two others, but one fell ill and the other dropped out!! So he came on his own. Brave young man! Anyway, I had a more secular discussion with him about the failure of Holland to qualify fore the World Cup!!

Anyway, I'll sign off for now so that I can see Perth and tell you a bit about that in a few days time. My train leaves on Monday Morning, so I hope to write again before then

TTFN

Phil