h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Dropped down from 40s to 30s so it really seems to be happening!

Finally got round to getting some travel insurance, although to cover my asthma (£8.74) means I have to buy insurance 4 times the price of every other insurance company, and have started getting in supplies. At the weekend I will be starting to pack.

Have been sorting out the dogs care (3 different temp homes, bless them), need to book a plumber to completely drain all the water asap after I've left then put it back on a day or so before I get home.

Making sure enough money in the account to pay bills while I'm gone.

You'd think I was going for a year...

Have you read any of Mark's India tales? Maybe ave read and look at some of the photos before you go?

Surviving India might be useful!

http://www.moxon.net/india/surviving_india.html

And here are some others that might be good, but have a look round the site, it might give you a bit of a feel for the place.

http://www.moxon.net/india/thoughts_before_arriving.html

http://www.moxon.net/india/pigs_over_jaisalmer.html

http://www.moxon.net/india/thoughts_after_three_months.html

http://www.moxon.net/india/death_on_the_platform.html

The thing that probably had the biggest impact on me was the pollution and the rubbish. Particularly the rubbish. It's just thrown everywhere, plastic bottles are in heaps outside shops, houses, beaches, over cliffs and they just don't see it as a problem, but then they don't really have a choice, there's no such thing as rubbish collections over there, so it's just dumped.

Anyway I really hope you like it, and you don't come back early! It's very special but very diffent, have a great time I'm very jealous, I'd love to go back, we will one day for sure!

Thanks for those links, I've read the first one, but the valium is kicking in now so will leave the others until it's worn off a bit.

It is really helpful, I hate being stared at, I guess I will have to get used to it! Also I won't worry about packing too many shorts, although we'll be on private land so should be able to do a bit of sunbathing!

How did your asthma do over there? I've just spent a fortune on travel insurance so I'm covered for it.. just in case.

Asthma was kind of okay, I'm worst with the damp and it was nice and hot which helped me lots - I'm worst in the fog in England! The pollution is really bad in the cities, so maybe you could take a mask or something if you think it will get to you? No idea if it would help, but it might do if fumes get to you?

'Eligible' women in India are referred to as 'Eves' - and all western women fall into the Eves category. Young Indian men see Eve baiting as a kind of sport, they just don't see anything wrong with making *REALLY* offensive gestures (use your imagination!), grabbing, pinching and ogling just happens, they don't see anything wrong with it.

I was on a public beach in a pretty mainstream tourist place in Kerala, and sunbathed on the beach in a very demure swimming costume, and had a group of 15 blokes all standing around me, *right* around me, just watching and leering, commenting and propositioning in very basic ways. They go up and down the beach in big groups 15-20 guys and just think it's fine to do it, if I'm on the beach in anything that even shows my ankles or my arms then that means that I'm fair game, and an Eve. I'm pretty hard but eventually it got too much and I had to leave I couldn't relax knowing I was been watched and leered at.

We were out in the Kerala backwaters, very remote, but it was the same thing - just with fewer men - the minute they saw a white woman they were straight over and ogling and gesturing - even with Mark around.

Now older men, and married men (at least with their wives and family around them) are fine - this makes it sound like I don't like Indian men and I do, I met some wonderful people, but young men don't get any and can only met chaperoned women, so they just go for it, it's a bit like you're a freak and they're at the zoo.

So, sunbathing, maybe, but maybe not, be careful, don't go out on your own, and stay near the buildings, it is a bit risky to be out, away on your own.

Now on the other hand, clothes there are incredibly cheap, they measure you and make them for you in a few hours and I have some great cotton shirts, cool with long sleeves, and long sarong wrap around skirts now! Dress like them and act like their women, demure, head down, probably a good idea to wear a wedding ring too.

And don't let me scare you! You're not the scaredy type I know, but I think you'll feel less threatened if you know in advance.

And if you're valiumed up that means you've had another jab today? Well done for going through with that, hope it's getting easier.

I had what I hope was my last jab, but I have to see a specialist nurse next week to weight my my risks of 3 other diseases. Tablets last night wiped me out, I was asleep on the sofa by 7, J was a bit worried I think as he goes to his dad's at 8. He eventually made me go to bed so he could sort the dogs out and lock up. I felt a bit guilty this morning, hope his dad didn't think I was drunk!

There is a private lake where we are going, although apparently last year as the girls all walked to it they had a big following! This year there is a changing room down there.

I think this is one of the reasons the organiser likes India - if something is needed - they just get on and do it! I'll get some nice bits and pieces made while I'm there, I raided Primark for a load of tops and I'll be taking my walking trousers as they are all light and pack small, but be nice to look the part while I'm there!

Since leaving the Beeb I have found it's traffic that makes me worse - before I was in London I was cabbing, and had been working in the cab office for about a year when I got the asthma. The two years I didn't work I barely used my inhaler at all. Going back out as a dog walker I do need it a bit more, but not nearly so much, so got to be that traffic! So a mask might be a good idea for Mumbai - other than that the main problem I have is going from very cold air to hot air suddenly which I hope won't be too much of a problem out there!

"Beggary is recognised as an organised crime in Mumbai and needs no encouragement."