India, Ladakh, Nepal 1982/3

[Cossie]

So I've decided to make this a proper road trip, I know Ladakh is technically part of India, but I thought it deserved to be mentioned separately. Due to the work I was doing at the time, my travel was restricted to the northern winter. These photos are from slides that I took, they have been transferred to digital, but have not be touched except where they were very dark. I use 'snipping tool' to get them on here.

Srinagar,Dal Lake, a little while later, 2 German tourists were nearly lynched here after skinny diping.



House boats and local transport (shikara).



I guess everyone knows that house boats were used as the British were not allowed to build on land.

 

[Cossie]

Apparently not many people go to Ladakh in winter... getting in was ok, but getting a flight out was an issue. There was a large Indian army presence there and the planes were full of soldiers arriving and leaving, no photos of the plane, nor airport.

Leh palace, modelled on the Potala in Lhasa.

 

[Cossie]

What a difference a day makes!





Main street in Leh.

 

[Cossie]

It was cold! The guest house was actually closed and the owners graciously opened up a room for us. The day we managed to get a seat on a plane out, this calf was born, plus it was a female so they were happy to be getting rid of us and the new birth.



Looking at these makes me want to go back! This time in summer.

 

[kermatu]

Fabulous pics. Thanks for posting.

 

[Cossie]

Back into India proper, Rajastan, lot's to see and do, we had several trips there, so some of the photos may be a bit mixed up! Jaipur Fort, 'Palace of Winds' and one of the silver drinking water vessels. (Jaipur City Palace Silver Vessel)



Observatory. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jantar_Mantar,_Jaipur)

 

[GladstoneTim]

Thank you for this, Cossie. I was in Kashmir and Ladakh in May-June, 1984. Two day bus trip from Srinagar to Leh. The flight back was so much more pleasant. Arrived back to find Srinagar under military control due to the Golden Temple hostage taking/attack. Thanks for reviving my great memories.

 

[Cossie]

That reminds me, I should have some photos of the Golden Temple, wonder where they are!

 

[Cossie]

Some locals!

 

[Cossie]

Some more from Leh.

 

[Cossie]

Back to amer fort

 

[Cossie]

Steam engine drivers cab, Jodhpur to Jasailmer.

 

[Cossie]

Jaisalmer, western Rajastan.

 

[Cossie]

Probably listening to the cricket!

 

[Cossie]

Thought i had more photos of Jaisalmer, Jodphur and Jaipur, maybe the 'ex' has them!

 

[Cossie]

Looking at another tr, it would seem that not a lot has changed in parts of India over the last 35 years.

The Taj and out the back.





Overnight train to Bombay, again can't find more photos. Lunch wallahs in Bombay (as it was then). very rarely does a meal go missing, damn impressive.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dabbawala



Also saw a poor old bear being dragged around by the nose, poor thing

 

[Cossie]

Overnight ferry to Goa, I'm guessing it was this one, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vijaydurg_Port#/media/File:Konkan_Sevak.jpeg

I honestly don't remember too much about it, (and no, I didn't use any mind altering substances, not my scene, except for good red wine of course), I remember it being very cramped, think I slept a lot. This site pretty well sums the voyage up. http://www.barretto.in/bombay-to-goa/

Anyway in Goa we stayed at the beach in a place that is still there, called "L'Amour Beach Resort" in Bemaulim. it was run by Goans of Portugese ancestry and of course the whole place has a very different feel to the rest of India. Unfortunately we never made it to Pondicherry, which was French controlled.

Portugese influenced housing. The second photo has been lightened considerably, but you can now see some of the detail.



Most Goans are meat eaters, but be very careful about eating pork, say no more!



This guy didn't like me taking his photo, got very stroppy after I did!

 

[Cossie]

We had a relaxing few weeks there, as I said earlier, I basically worked for 6 months in Scandinavia then travelled for 6 months, so to spend a few weeks on the beach was a very welcome rest.

Fisherpeople in Goa, can't be an easy life...

 

[Cossie]

Once a week there was a market in Anjuna in the north of Goa, seems it's still happening. anyway lot's to see, many different sorts of people including western hippies, Tibetians and tribes indigenous to India from Karnataka, Rajastan and Gurjarati selling unwanted western goods to fund longer stays, and lot's of tribal clothing and jewellery. Various other substances were on sale if you were that way inclined.



I'm guessing that a lot of this sort of stuff was a precursor to the full moon beach parties and the like happening now. lot's of interesting photos here:

http://grapevineonline.in/pictures-goa-70s-80s-paradise/

Didn't see anything like this myself, we were in the south and a 15 minute walk from the hotel meant you were the only ones for several hundred metres either side. Locals would ride past on their bicycles selling cold drinks and fruit.

 

[kermatu]

It's now close to 20 years since I was in Goa; even then the beaches had become the favourite haunt of beautiful, young hippy Europeans. Fortunately just a 5 minute drive and you were back to what (at least seemed to me) you would call regular, sedate rural Goan (but becoming more Indian) life. Curious as to how it all looks now.