Farther Than Oxnard

Just in case you hadn't noticed...

2006-12-20T10:42:00.000-05:00

Or you stumbled upon this blog randomly, I couldn't keep it updated along with my other one, so you can find all India updates at Two-Timing the Cosmos. Later!

Update

2006-11-24T13:02:00.000-05:00

Boy I suck at updating this blog. I've done a lot of work for my trip over the past few weeks, but with moving and other stresses it still feels like I'm wholly unprepared to go. Some helpful tips have been left in the comments. I've been reading some interesting stuff on indiamike.com, where jason pointed me, which is kind of your typical emoticon-soaked forum board, but these people have a wide swath of knowledge when it comes to backpacking through India, so it's been pretty helpful on what to bring, wear, how to interact with people, etc.

(Oh, and jason inadvertently answered my blog question - he's blogging from India! Yay blogspot!)

Also, barry pointed me to asiahotels.com and asiarooms.com, both of which seem to be exactly the kind of thing I was looking for. I was mostly searching for hotels through my guidebook and checking out ones with web sites, but that has been hit or miss. I have booked reservations near Aurangabad and ... well, that's it. I thought I'd had three more places booked, but then after we'd gone through it all, I got emails saying, "Okay, now just pay 50% of your bill, and we'll be all set." I've been warmed (somewhat obviously) that this is usually a scam, and if you show up and all the rooms are booked, you have no recourse.

Barry also tells me (and I've heard elsewhere) that it's not hard to find rooms if you just show up at a place. I hesitate to do this mostly because I'm a "planner," and also because at a few of these places I won't be there very long, so I don't want to spend half a day looking for a hotel. Not to mention, prices can vary from $20-$400 a night, so I'd like to get some good deals. I'm going to check out those asia websites mentioned above for some more choices, I think.

While I was home in Cali my mom and I stopped by every sports store in the county looking for some good shoes, and I finally found exactly what I was looking for, these awesome New Balances (that actually make my feet look small!). I'm still having trouble uploading photos from my new camera or I'd show you. (This is also a problem, I was sort of hoping I'd be able to upload photos to computers at email centers, but this is looking to be less of an option. 1 gig cards are only $20, and I have two, so maybe I'll just buy one or two more. And if you don't think I can fill all those up in a month, you haven't seen me with a camera.)

I swung by the camping section at this store where I got my shoes and ended up buying out the place. There's all this stuff I didn't even think about (and some I had, but there aren't a lot of camping stores in D.C.). I bought some lightweight plastic bottles for shampoo/facewash/etc, a couple of locks, some 100% deet mosquito repellent (did you know malaria pills are only a prophylactic and don't prevent you from from catching it? they only lessen the effects...that's new to me), some "ditty" bags that will be useful for separating things in my backpack (toiletries, etc) ... gosh, what else. I overloaded my suitcase, so my mom is shipping it to me, so I'll take a better inventory when the boxes arrive. I'm still working on a backpack, but I took a look at a ton and have a good idea of what I want. Plus Quinn says he might have one for me.

I'm starting to feel like I'm spending way more money than I'd intended to for this trip, but I'm trying to look at it the same way I look at the $500 I spent on vaccines — this stuff is going to last a long time, so I'm going to consider it an investment in my future travels, which now I have to go on, cause I've got a lot of shit to use.

I leave in less than a month!!

omg no blogs!

2006-11-14T20:10:00.000-05:00

I was reading Chai's blog earlier today and she noted that because she uses blogspot, her blog is blocked in India! Tell me it's not true! Did I create Farther Than Oxnard for nothing, if I won't be able to access it abroad??

More info please! What about typepad and the other blog sites out there??

India, You Better Be Ready For Me

2006-11-12T21:00:00.000-05:00

I spent all weekend with my nose in my Fodor's guide figuring out my itinerary. I have to say, it was really overwhelming before I started, which is why I put it off for so long - but that was highly stupid. Things are booking up and two months out now, I'm really at the limit where I need to make these reservations.

Here's what I've figured out. As for the last section, the Delhi-Agra-Varanasi trip, it's actually outlined that way in my guide book and seemed perfect, even though it's a lot of plane hopping in a few days (I actually chose one of the more low-key versions). I've made many inquiries into hotels this weekend and hope to hear back from some of those tomorrow. The end of the trip will be connect by a lot of flights, but I'm really torn about how to get around the South India locations.

Additionally, Erin left a helpful comment about a jungle trip, but I ended up going with Nagarhole because I'll be fairly close to it and it's sort of on my way to Goa. I think this itinerary hits up just about everything, in moderation: big, urban cities, beaches, caves/mountains, jungles. I'll see elephants and bazaars, plantations and temples. That being said, I did my best not to make the trip to go-go-go, and may have somewhat failed in that regard. However, I have factored in mild (say half-day, or a good day to sleep in) downtime during my time in Goa and Delhi. My only real worry is that if some huge snag happens, it will affect the very end of my trip, and I don't see the Taj Mahal until January 15, a mere four days from my departure.

If any of my few readers have comments, advice, or warnings about any of this, please leave a comment or shoot me an email.

December 22-28: Bangalore, staying with Chai's family (and Maisnon!) for the wedding.
December 28-30: Mysore (by express train)
December 30-January 1: Kampur (by ?), stay at jungle lodge at the Nagarhole National Park
January 1-2: (This is the tricky one I'm not sure about) Coorg (by car?), stay at Dubare Elephant Camp.
January 2-5: Goa (by ?).
January 5-9: Mumbai (by plane), depart immediately (by train/car?) for Aurangabad (there are awesome caves out here).
January 9-14: Delhi (by plane)
January 14-16: Agra (by plane), see Taj Mahal
January 16-18: Varanasi (by plane) for boat rides on Ganges, Buddhist temples, art collection at Bharat
January 18: Somehow make my way back to Bangalore (I fear this may mean up to three connections)
January 19: Leave for D.C.

Help!

2006-11-05T18:15:00.000-05:00

I need recommendations. With the moving and other thousand activities I've been sucked into lately, my quest to confirm an itinerary has fallen way down on the list. I have a vague idea of where I'll be over the month, but nothing firm beyond Jan 2.

I arrive in Bangalore on December 22 and spend that time shopping for a sari and attending wedding activities, although I'll probably have some of the daytime to explore the crowded city. I'm fairly sure I'm going to Goa on the 28th through New Year's Eve. After that, I plan to travel north on the west side of the country, probably through some rural country on my way to Mumbai, then, unless something in the middle pulls me off-course, I will probably head to Delhi to explore the Golden Triangle, including the Taj Mahal, of course. Whether or not I head east to Calcutta is still up for debate. I have to return to Bangalore on Jan 19 to catch my plane back to the motherland.

But that's all I know! I want to see things! Go on a safari! And so on, so if anyone has anything specific they'd love to pass on, say, a great town they visited or activity they did, or something I just can't leave the country without seeing, please leave it in the comments or shoot me an email. I'm worried that, because this is tourist season, a lot of things are going to be booked, so the sooner I figure this all out, the better.

Never Forget

2006-10-23T21:11:00.000-04:00

Oh, tasteless jokes.

These are all over my mirrors to remind me to take my Typhoid vaccine every other day before I eat in the morning. I felt a little funny today after the shots, but nothing serious, no fevers or anything, and my arms didn't swell. They're both a little sore, but the doc said that exercising them would help. Of course, that's kind of tough when you're sitting behind a desk all day giving yourself carpel tunnel instead.

Finally, Get What You Pay For

2006-10-23T10:55:00.000-04:00

I haven't ignored all the great advice you guys gave me on my camera post, but I'm still weighing my options. With the sudden move, it looks like an SLR will continue to be a pipe dream, so I'm debating between a couple of the point and shoots you guys recommended. I'll let you know when I make the big purchase.

I just got back from the Traveler's Clinic at the GWU hospital, and I can't recommend that place enough. With all the ignorant, rude, sassy, and otherwise unhelpful people we've all dealt with in the service industry (which, I'd argue, medical services are a part of), it's totally refreshing and downright pleasant when you're greeted by knowledgeable people who not only treat you kindly and give you the info you're seeking, but actually make recommendations around your individual lifestyle and are happy to do it.

I got there around 9 this morning, and though I had a little trouble finding it in the cavernous GWU building, a passing doctor noticed my confusion and happily guided me all the way to the other side of the building. You know, I don't have any particular fear of hospitals, though I can't say I've spent much time in them in my life, but I still think there's something ubercreepy about entering a room labeled "INFECTIOUS DISEASES". Just me? Okay.

I waited less than five minutes and was led in by my doctor. She was thrilled that I had already done the research about what shots I needed (wait...do people really make appointments and say, "hey, I'm going to Canada and like I think I like need a shot or something!") and also that I'd come in so early. It turns out, contrary to my initial guess, that you can take all five of these shots at the same time. But she discussed my options with me at length, and since doing them all at once is, of course, expensive and kind of painful, and since I have so much time, we just did three today. She also said if I decide to split them up, she wouldn't charge me for the visit next time.

Turns out that the typhoid vaccine also comes in pill form. And not only does it last longer than the shot (5 years, to the shot's 2), but it's cheaper! No brainer. Since it's a "live" vaccine, as opposed to an inactive one like the shot, people who have immune deficiencies can't take it, so I guess that's the drawback. I also have to keep it cold (I take them every other day over the next week), so I have a giant box of Live Typhoid Vaccine sitting in the community refrigerator at work. Heh.

Splitting them up also means I got to split the two really expensive ones, which is good. So I got tetanus and Hep A today, and will get meningitis and polio next time. Did you know that once you get your adult polio booster it's good for life? The doc also gave me all this info about the three kinds of malaria pills so we can choose the best option during my next visit. It looks like those, unsurprisingly, are going to set me back some hard cash. Clearly I didn't really factor the "disease" portion in when budgeting this trip. On the bright side, it's probably good I'm doing this anyway, not even just for the one trip. I mean, I hadn't had a tetanus shot in nearly 10 years (which is how long they're good for, I think) and never got the meningitis one I was supposed to before college.

The shots didn't hurt at all, and the doc was just so friendly and helpful I'm actually feeling great about the whole thing right now. I made my next appointment for December 4, and she said next time we'd sit down and have a talk about good traveling habits for India specifically, like what not to eat and what to do if I get sick. I totally did not expect her to be an actual travel advisor! If you are traveling and need shots or just advice, I completely recommend this clinic. It's on 22nd and I, but if you want more information, feel free to ask me.

Sigh.

2006-10-16T13:39:00.000-04:00

I'm not even going to pretend I'm surprised. I finally called the GP I'd picked out under my new health insurance; turns out she's teaching this semester, so she's not taking new patients. The nice lady on the phone then told me that no one at this rather large office was taking new patients, but, would I mind a resident? I just need shots, so I said that was fine. When she realized I needed them for travel she exclaimed, "Oh, insurance doesn't cover any of that!" No kidding. Not only doesn't it cover the vaccines, which I kind of expected, it doesn't even cover the doctors visit, even with a co-pay. LAME.

Turns out they actually have a Travel Clinic, so I just made an appointment there for next Monday. If I need all five of these shots (I still have to double check my records), it's going to be a plumb 400 even. Now I know why my book only "recommends" the Hep A and meningitis shots, because those two are the killers, at $125 and $145 respectively. Tetanus is $35, polio is $30, and typhoid is $65. Well, I guess that's the price you pay. At least if I travel abroad again soon, I'll have those taken care of for awhile.

Also, did any of you see this Single's Traveling Guide they have in the Post? It's kind of hysterical. A lot of it is all about reassuring us that it's "okay" to travel alone. I mean, what? One of the reasons I decided to do this is because I want to experience traveling alone. Like, how many times do I have to be patted on the head and told it's okay that I'm not married? Shoot, I was dating someone when I bought my ticket and still had every intention of doing this on my own. It's not Noah's Ark over here, man.

I Turn My Camera On

2006-10-07T16:42:00.000-04:00

I need some camera advice. Right now I've got a point & shoot that's served me well, but it's hitting four-years-old and it's 3.1 megapixels. Now, it did take all those Chile photos, which surprised me in their technical quality, but a huge problem is that I can't blow them up bigger than 8x10. I've had a number of potential sales that ended up falling through because they wanted large prints.

My other camera is a Canon Powershot G6, which is also a good little camera. It's nice because there are more manual settings I can play with, without being an SLR with lenses I have to drag around, and it's 7.1 megapixels, which is also nice. The real problem with it, and also my point and shoot, is that they are the slowest fucking cameras I have EVER used. I can't tell you how many photos I've missed because the camera takes five good seconds from me pressing the trigger to actual shutter movement. I've just about lost my shit a couple of times when this has happened. Sometimes my point and shoot won't EVER click. When I was at the Tim Gunn lecture last week there were a few times I held the trigger down and nothing — nothing — happened. Which is an excellent way to make my blood pressure rise.

So anyway, I need a new camera. Obviously, I have to think about India, partially because I need to be realistic about what I can bring with me, and partly because I can't be spending tons of money that would better go to hotel bills.

I'm still waffling between finally buying an SLR, or buying a high-end point and shoot, mostly because it would be SO much easier to haul a small point & shoot around with me, and would be less of a target for thieves. I really, really want an SLR, but I think that it's probably not a wise choice at this juncture.

Either way, I absolutely need a camera with the fastest shot-to-shot time I can find. The problem is that on most websites they either don't list this time in the specs, or if they do, you can't search by that number, so you have to look at every single camera one-by-one (at the same time, remembering all the other specs you want).

So, does anyone have any advice for me? Speaking of advice, Erin noted in the comments that she's been to India and would be happy to give some advice, and I just wanted to say, it doesn't matter what my blog topic is, if you've got something to share with me, or something you think I should think about, please let me know! (By the way, Erin is a phenomenal photographer.)

Shot Through The Arm, And FDR's To Blame

2006-10-04T23:11:00.000-04:00

Becks reminded me that I need to get some serious vaccinatage pretty soon. Technically, India doesn't require any shots, but I've been reading up on it and it's highly recommended to get tetanus, polio and typhoid boosters, and very recommended to get Hepatitis A and meningitis shots as well.

I wouldn't have to worry about all of these, except that I skipped out on some boosters a few years ago. DC schools require a certain set of vaccinations before you get to campus. They sent me a list...which I totally ignored. I was very broke at the time and was in between health insurance carriers, so I just decided to wait until they threatened to boot me off campus. Luckily, there were no vegetal scares while I was at AU, so they never came after me.

However, that would have prevented the slew of needles I'm gonna have in my arm before December. At least I have insurance now. Next step, find a doctor.

Back of the Envelope

2006-10-03T11:13:00.000-04:00

The quick and dirty calculation for Rupees to Dollars:

(# of Rupees) x 2 / 100 = Approx(# of Dollars)

Or even easier, but less accurate, take the number of Rupees, chop off the last two numbers and double.

It gets farther off as the numbers go up, but it's good enough for government work, as my mother would say.

For example:

500 Rupees x 2 = 1000
1000 / 100 = 10 Dollars

500R actually equals $10.91

Cost of a high-end hotel:
3000 Rupees x 2 = 6000
6000 / 100 = 60 Dollars

3000R actually equals $65.51

I think that'll do fine for everyday purchases. I only need to pay attention if I start spending over ten thousand Rupees at a time, which might be difficult in India, unless I feel compelled to buy real Art or something.

A Canadian Flag Pin Probably Won't Help Here

2006-09-30T11:14:00.000-04:00

The news has been overwhelming the past couple of days with congressional resignations, plane crashes, and school shootings, but you might have noticed the headline today on CNN, India police: Pakistan spy agency behind Mumbai bombings.

I do keep up on international news (hey, I'm halfway through an MA in International Studies after all!), but I won't claim to have in-depth knowledge of the history of Pakistan-India relations. When I heard the news this morning I immediately thought, if they're right, this is really bad. And if they're wrong, this is really bad. It's one thing to blame Pakistani terrorists, but they're actually accusing the government here, and that's a whole other ball-of-wax-finger-on-the-button issue.

It's probably my intense fear of nuclear war that keeps me from trying to understand this particular conflict very well (though one might assume the opposite). It is, I think, time for me to get over that and do some reading on the matter. Not just because I'm going there, but because I need to shake this anti-news coma I've been in for the past two years.

I have to say I'm a little surprised — to bring this fully back to self-centered personal blog territory — that, after two very major bombings in India since I've purchased my ticket, my mother hasn't called and said, "You're not going."

>>(Sort of update): I forgot to mention, if you click on the CNN article, there's a link on the left sidebar to another article titled "India blocks blogs." Which sounds like it'd be interesting, except the link leads nowhere. Blocked, maybe??

Just Like Mama Used to Make

2006-09-29T13:21:00.000-04:00

On Wednesday I met up with Chai, her fiance (who I finally met at our swearing in), and a couple of her friends from out-of-town, for dinner. Chai's been telling me forever about this place in Georgetown called Amma (which means 'Mama') with "authentic" Indian food, and how I had to try it at least once before I went abroad. It's a veg place, which isn't surprising since most of southern India is veg.

Chai and her man recommended I try a dosa, which was quite delicious. It was a very large (it hung over the edges of the plate) triangle shaped flat bread stuffed with potatoes, onions, and some spices. In my silly American attempt to be all-the-way authentic, I left my utensils sparkle on the table, and used my hands to eat. Of course, it's pretty easy to eat flatbread with your hands. I got the spicy Mysore Masala sauce and the coconut chutney to dip it in.

Though I've never, ever had Indian food I didn't absolutely love, I'm also sure that most of it has been Americanized, so I'm interested to see what the country has to offer. I've been reading in my travel bible how there's no such thing as "curry" in India, or at least not as we know it, as the one flavor. I figure, being by myself, I'm going to spend a lot of time lingering over meals while I'm there, so look forward to plenty of food photography and spice descriptions.

And yes, I've been duly warned to steer clear of the street vendors. No Chai (tea) for me!

Speaking of photography, I put up a small selection of photos (about 5% of the number I actually took) from my Greece, Belgium, and Chile trips on Flickr, some of which should be showing up on the sidebar. Check them out if you're interested.

P.S. At first I typed, "[I have photos] on the sidebar, if you're interested," but I totally caught myself, whew! Mmmmmmm...biscuits.

What if I wanted to go to China?

2006-09-28T13:25:00.000-04:00

I've been working on my Visa application this week. The form itself isn't very long, but I need to send in with it two passport photos (check) and a $150 certified check (today is payday). My passport photos look hideous, of course. It's funny that I've been lucky enough to have have uncannily photogenic driver's license photos, but the numerous passport photos I've had over the years are actually of some pasty, fat-faced girl with a bad haircut. At least it keeps me from being one of those pretentious snobs who uses their passport to get into bars.

I only have one concern on the Visa application. The very last question asks for two references. But get this: One has to be in India.

!!

I've tried to decipher possible explanations or misunderstandings here. My mom asked me if that was only for work Visas, but no, it's a general question. My roommate wondered if it just had to be someone with Indian citizenship, but the question is too vague. It literally looks like this:

Please provide two references:
1) India: _________
2) Your country of permanent residence: _______

Doesn't that seem to mean someone who lives in India? I haven't asked Chai yet, but it seems like my only option is to get a reference from one of her family members. Does anyone have a rational explanation for a requirement that I personally know someone in a country that I'd like to visit halfway around the world?

Until My Engine Falls Out

2006-09-27T22:00:00.001-04:00

Mindy wins the prize! Which isn't surprising, because if anyone would get a Buffy reference, it's her.

The Season 4 premiere episode is where Buffy & Co start college, except, that is, for Xander. While hanging out at the coffee shop the girls ask him what he did over the summer, and Xander explains, while holding a copy of On The Road, that he had planned a cross-country trip but only "got as far as Oxnard, and the engine fell out of my car."

So there's the obvious (semi-cheesy) travel, experience-life-on-your-own vibe. And then there's the part that some of you started to guess. I'm actually from Ventura, which is the city right next to Oxnard. (And no, Oxnard isn't a small town.) So yes, the geographic reference is perfect to a T.

Oh ho, I'm so clever I can barely stand it! Yeah, not really, but coming up with blog names is difficult business, and this one, much like Two-Timing the Cosmos, jumped out at me when I saw it.

Alright, soon I'll have a real update on my India plans.

All Aboard

2006-09-26T22:00:00.000-04:00

Hi everyone! I know I'm taking a break from TTtC, but part of the reason is that I really need to spend time planning my India trip (explained here), so I decided to start a new blog dedicated to planning and — once I'm there — recording the whole experience.

A month-long trip on the other side of the world, as you might expect, isn't like driving to Baja for the weekend. I bought my ticket six months before my departure date and have been saving for months before that. I have a feeling I'll have plenty to share with you all, and hopefully you'll have plenty of tips for me as well. I love to travel and though I don't get to jetset as much as I'd like, I hope to keep this blog open for future adventures.

So how do y'all like the template? I stripped the skeleton from my other blog, and changed the header photo and the colors. I'm not married to the red yet, so I'm open to suggestions. Any comments on the photo? It's an antique shop I ran across in Brussels, but I've been cropping and altering it in a number of ways, so I'm also open to suggestions there.

Finally, a hundred brownie points to the first person who gets the reference in my blog title. Except Rebecca, cause I already spilled the beans to her.