Hang on tight - you're in for a bumpy ride

Sooo nice being back in India!

Day five and we've done quite a lot actually;

Arrived Tuesday morning October 13 at around 1am - and here's where I got a bit shocked - everything was so easy, it run smoothly like hell; Both our bags arrived, the driver was waiting, he took us straight to the hostel and got us both inside, Sumanthi was very welcoming and made sure we had everything - and then we went straight to bed!

Woke up pretty late, and then just walked around all day - to Bazaar Street, MG Road, the big park etc.

It's warm. It's chaos. It's traffic everywhere. And cows. And dirt. And dust.

It's India!

The smell in the air is India. A blend of spices, pollution, cow dung (and other types of shit), food, insence, sweat and more spices. I love it!

We went to Ruchi Restaurant near our homestay that evening - ended up eating (lovely food) in an empty restaurant. Just the two of us, and like twenty waiters..! One guy took our order, another one came with our plates, a third one came with the food, a fifth one came with the drinks but the sixth one served the drinks of the tray, and a seventh one served us the food from the bowls... and so it went on..! Felt a bit luxurious, although we know you're not supposed to eat anywhere where there's no people (meaning: here you could get stomach ache (and worse)) - but we did get this place recommended to us, so we took a chance =)

Wednesday - walked a bit, tried to buy some nice fabrics to get a dress but it was a bit expensive (yeah, some things could get pricey here too), and then we couldn't find a tailor who had time to sow it for us.. So we went to Ulla's Refreshments - maybe a swedish who started this place? - for some nice food - lovin' it! And later that night we saw half a movie at the cinema. They didn't really speak any english, only things they sais were "Listen", "Okey but here's the thing...", "Seriously" and so on - but we never got to hear the rest in english... =) But you sort of get it anyway, it's pretty obvious what the story is. Although, after half the movie they always have a break - so we went outside to look at the traffic instead =)

Thursday - internet day, taking out money, went to a temple and took a nap - then it was time to get on the 15hour bus journey to Ernakulam/Cochin. I've never ever experienced such a bumpy road in my life! (and we were in the far back, so maybe that had something to do with it being extra bumpy...) But well, you should do something like this once or twice I guess - it's part of the experience, part of the country!

Friday - With sore backs, asses and legs we stumbled out in the hot and humid Ernakulam - the mainland city of Ernakulam/Kochi (also Cochin). Checked in to Mother Tree in Fort Cochin and slept half the day! Not bad at all! But we were still a bit tired, so got into bed at 9pm, and slept twelve (12!) hours =D

Saturday - planned the rest of our trip a bit loosely, walked around the market and stalls along the sea, and now we're struggling with uploading pictures etc. You'll have to make do with the ones I got here, and they're not even mine... My memory card seems to have some disease, so it won't work on any computer... So I've borrowed Therese's pics =) They're all from Bangalore - you'll see more from Cochin later.

Have to run - gotta take a shower (like it's gonna matter..) before catching a show of Kathakali at five - gonna be real fun!

See ya'll soon again!

Hot and sweaty hugs!

I'm off again - India, USA, Thailand - here I come!

So we've finally arrived at today, and this post will be a very short one.

I'm a bit freaked out.
Leaving tonight for India.

Yeah I know, I've been there before and all, but well, it's still India.

It's going to be great =D

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Leaving home with Therese, a friend from my home town, and we're going to spend almost a month together - first a couple of days in Bangalore (the capital city of the region Karnataka), and then we're going to cruise around Kerala, one of the most southern regions in India.

Probable stops will be: Kochi/Ernakulam (it's one city with two names), The backwater systems, Varkala and Kovalam (beach cities), perhaps Munnar and other town in the mountains, and then my final destination will be Trivandrum.

Therese will go on travelling in India for a fair bit - she'll be there for almost four months in total - and then go to Thailand. Unfortunately I will go home to Sweden way before she even leaves India for Thailand, so we won't meet up for coffee in Bangkok etc =)

After India, I'll fly from Trivandrum to NYC - yeah you're right - New York City!

Then I'll hop between a couple of cities in the states (Cincinnati, Chicago and then go to Colorado for Thanksgiving) and visit a lot of friends I met in Oz - you'll recognize them all from previous pics =)

After the states I'll have five and a half weeks in Thailand just to relax!
And after three and a half week, my parents will come join me - and we'll celebrate Christmas and New Years together in Ao Nang!

Does it sound like a good trip or not?

I. Think. So.

Very well, wish me luck with all my flights - you know my paranoia about flying... - and I'll try to keep you all up to date a bit better this time!

See you all in january (i'm back in sweden the 8th, and then i'm back for some more studies in gothenburg on january 18th), so take care until then!

Lots of hugs // emma

PS: DON'T FORGET TO POST A LOT OF COMMENTS!! I'd like that =)

Summer in Sweden 2009

And I'm baaack!

This summer has been great - it went by faaar to quick though...

Had coffee with some of my girls (this is one hour after landing in sweden, coming straight from oz), then home for some delicious dinner = RIBS!!


















First full day home - I spent it reading in the sun, eating sushi and getting totally burned...






















































































A day on the town (Karlstad - Charles Town) with Emma and Lisa!


























































A nice, lazy walk a late summer night (yeah, it's around 9pm) - checking out my dad's ice cream truck;








































Dad picking flower for Mum ;)









Later that week - hanging out by the river with Emma and Lisa =)














































Second week home - going down to the west coast with my folks for a long weekend (thursday-sunday)!


















First night - sitting on the rocks eating crayfish, cheese and drinking wine with our good friends Lotta and Lars! (the camping in the background is where we always stay, but this summer we rented a cabin right next to it instead of having a camping van)







































It's pretty late at the mo, around 11pm















































And finally around midnight the sun has set - although it'll be a clear blue sky all night long anyway =)

























Day out at sea (with a quick stop in the coastal town of Grebbestad to get some food)



















































Dinner at our little cabin =)










Day #2 at sea - spent it at our own little place, which we call the lagoon - swimming, reading, sunbathing - lovely!






































Saturday night - hittin' it at Röde Orm (The Red Snake) - a well knowned pub on the docks =)




























yeah, it's past 1am... =)

















Home in Grums again, and the temperature's rising:





Can you believe it - this is Sweden for God's sake! - and we've got above 30 degrees Celcius in the shadow outside, and more than 45 in the sun!
















Grums





Me and my cousin spent a great day by the big lake, Vänern, the water was wonderful!


















My summerjob at the paperfactory here in Grums;


















That was the control room with all the screens etc - making sure nothing goes wrong. And then outside - all the logs we're going to turn into chips!

Went to Fiskevik (The Bay of Fishing) with Emma and Lisa one day - it's really like being at the ocean here - but still, it's only the lake...!


























Inside one of the trucks at the factory:















To compare - Micke is standing next to the truck - and he's a pretty big guy... He can barely make it to the top of one of the tires..




Crayfish dinner at home!












Emma and I on the town - you can see the restaurant Pråmen (The Barge) in the background.





View from the truck a day at work - yup yup, it's Vänern the big lake you can see there - so believe me, this factory is not a bad place to work - nice folks, nice salary (!), and nice views!




Picking mushrooms with my mum and sister in the woods! :






















My room:














Had a little surgery the last day of august... Got rid of my gallbladder - and that turns out to be fortunate - it was filled with gallstones.... just a matter of time before the next attack then i guess..

So here i a week after the surgery - I can now stand erect.. =)











Staying over at Evenlina's one of the weekends I spent in Gothenburg to take the gym instructor course. Next to our romantic dinner you'll see pics of the gym where we had all our lessons, and me and some other students at the course:


















(woops, the last photo got a bit crooked, well well, can you all turn your heads? then i don't have to upload it again...)

Yeah, so what do you say - a trip to Sweden next summer wouldn't be all that bad aye? ;)
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