India Logistics Log: Dec 9 - Dec 15

Dec 9

dorm quiet sleep ok. rise 9. reg morn make cafe upstairs. try to pay no change again, 2nd guy questioning how much i paid getting annoying. grab food at corner spot veg fried rice w veg roti 160rs bit slow. try to drop laund at 10rs per piece spot, turned out to be ironing only.. walk back to hostel. try to setup upi payment app quit at kyc, gpt says cant load cash using visa card. try to book bus ticket to ahmedebad, makemytrip not working cant get to payment page.. walk to bio park, not much food on the way. eat at place at biopark mancurian chowmein, momos, pina juice 210rs. bio park entry 569inr for foreigner/ 279 for locals.. so walk back to hostel. unproductive day. shwr rest bit in dorm, mostly quiet. research options heading south decide to bite the 7hr train for flexibility. 8p grab vegan buffet on rooftop again 300rs 3 plates, convenient and ok music. tummy ache after coming back.. chill at makeshift workplace, bed at 12

Dec 10

mostly quiet slept ok. rise 840, make reg cafe upstairs. checkout bunks n beyond 1005am pay 350rs for last night. walk twd udaipur city station, grab street stall w 100rs small thali. reach udaipur station 1020 buy general tik usual guy sittting by kiosk, only 60rs to ahmedebad super cheap but .. train left on time 1140, not too busy, layed down awhile. real slow train stop at each station. eventually got packed, sit up in seat really not comfy, skip lunch snack on nuts, chips samosas 70rs total. 630 train stopped short by 1 station at asarva annoying af. walk thru heavy traffic avoid tuks, try to catch bus on platform in mid of main avenue nobody understand eng.. getting agitated again from train and rough traffic. keep walking down rd catch local bus for 5rs to kalupur bus stop. walk along ghandi rd twds fort, found chicken byrani surpriising thought gujurat was most veg state, 500g plate for 90rs only. walk in hotel kamran legit hotel room w ac no windows wants 1400inr negotiated to 1000inr pay on card, checkin bit tedious w 4 workers, want to take my photo so told them to take it w middle finger raised. clean up in room pretty comfy feel more relaxed decent value for 15.4cad

Dec 11

selpt ok soft bed lazy morn rise at 940. pay another night at kamran 1000rs on card. 11a walk around fort area for food and try to find laundry. try veg thali spot 100r meh. walk around fort and mosques no laundry all useless textiles. find wireless charger at chell repair shop for 500rs. hotel shwr rest, new white wireless charger works exactly same as old one that broke in mae hong son. feel fatigue from train yday. 3p grab same chk byrani place as last night 90rs 500g, local price no tourists in whole city., roads chaotic dont wanna walk around, snax 70rs n head back to hotel. shwr rest hard, listen to music n angry guy. 740 grab chk byrani across street 100rs w colored rice found hair. walk back to fort area, try to walk to river but no sidewalk and crazy traffic, walk around useless mkt again annoying, cane juice only 15rs. chill in hotel, setup bill payments on wealthsimple. go out to grab chk schwarma 100rs solid but messy. gud rest day.

Dec 12

bit noisy banging sounds in hotel. tell room upstairs to keep it down. sleep in til 10. reg morn routine + brush teeth. checkout kamran 11am decent deal. walk twd train station, eat a local thali spot 170rs w refills ok. walk to staton thru construction bit of pain. try to find ticket kiosk another pain, wander into reserv tik office, fill form the realize wrong place. find general kiosk no worker had to get woman to buy ticket to valdodara 50rs, paid her 46rs since had no change... try to use ac waiting room for 20inr but guy wanted id and phone so left. wait in general area read clarey housing crash. 140pm train arrive 130, grab seat in ac section, train started moving 150 express train no stops., jaw ex 3x3x30. reach valdodara 330, walk around area most hotel dont accept foreigners. walk around almost 2hrs eventually checkin hotel veronica on other side of junction, pay 1960rs on card inc bfast buffet, staff seem nice. the most paid this trip in over a year... over 30cad fack, toughest hotel search so far poor recommendation by gpt. stupid key card for power in hotel so cant leave phone charging. walk out for food, thali not available til 730pm for some reason. get egg fried rice across busy st 70rs. chill bit in room research options for tmr. 750 grab thali across st 120rs bit small. get chicken lollypop takeout next door 200rs

Dec 13

weird mechanical noise in room cant sleep. complain to recetpion at 130am, move to another smaller room 2 floors down w no noise. rise 820 fee like got ripped for this hotel in shit city. make cafe in room using bottled water and powder provided. 930 grab buffet bfast decent w fruit rotis n rice. checkout veronica 1030 shitty hotel for the price. walk straight to terminal, nobody working at kiosk again, buy xpress tik to surat using local help 75rs, pay him 80rs. train leave early at 1050 got top bunk in fan seciton, use sweater as pillow. shitty train stop at almost every station. arrive surat junction at 150, took over 3hrs when schedule said under 2hrs... lotsa hotel, first didnt accept foreingers, found hostel 400inr real shit, some hotel wanted 2850inr.. wtf.. use booking at hotel sarita decent ac room w bfast for 1298rs on card, wanted 1700inr at counter, ezish checkin no annoying photo. walk out for food, corner chk spot 3 drums w 2 rotis 135rs. walk around logical area look for laund on google maps - guy ironing w zero eng, total shit town w zero backpackers. chill bit in room. shwr rest. realize orange\massage ball gone! can't belive been using everyday for 9 years! email veronica hostel said they found it, ask them to mail it to mumbai hostel book goldenstar deluexe dorm in mumbai for tmr, ask veronica to mail massage ball there. walk around corner for food, big food hall spot order gujarati thali for 150inr got charged 170rs. chill more in room. do neck wo back neck bridge on stiff mattress 3x25, front neck bridge on towel 3x25 6/10. chat w gpt feel better about ball. go out again for food, corner chk spot again tandori half + 2 rotis 225rs solid. fix oakley bottom tear near rubber.

Dec 14

best rest in awhle, room quiet. rise 850. make cafe in rooom. 940 grab bfast buffet downstairs only 4 items, eat 3 plates. checkout sarita 11am decent hotel. walk to junction thich throng. use local help again for kiosk 100rs to mumbai central. jump on first train heading south, got ac seat beside family. inspector checked ticket said wrong train - not going to mumbai, have to get off at vasai rd, express train no stop til vasai rd almost mumbai center, ac seat but kids screaming, cant say anything w general ticket. arrive vasai rd station 205pm. find train to churchgate right away crazy packed no standing room. grab food by junction, chk schwarma 90rs. walk back to platform catch ac train to churchgate almost empty for some reason. only 3 stops to andheri. take metro from ainheri to marol naka 20rs. walk to goldenstar dorms, notbody home. try calling on whatsapp, eventually another guy showed up, worker sleeping at 330pm said dorm full and check next door. notbody working next door either. went back to goldenstar, show guy reservation, said can have bed, pay 350rs, annoyed no towel and another guy cutting in, tell them to cancel booking and delete info. book another hostel cst dorms 1.3km away cheaper n better locale. walk to cst dorms, another super cramped place w no common area. guess mumbai hostels are all trash from 2 ref pts. checkin cst relatively simple pay 300rs cash got top bunk w cheap key locker. ask about receiving parcel then email veronica again. walk around hostel area find few laundry spots all charge around 50rs per item.. wtf.. grab chk byrani near hostel 80rs. walk around hostel to use wifi. actually feel alrite. walk across st. pray at catholic church. find more laundry spots cheapest 40rs bit tiem 20rs small.. grab chk fried noodles directly across hostle 60rs cheap, food seems cheaper but laund more than double himachal. hostel clean up n hit bed early. bit smelly, doin it for the exp and adaptation. use laptop in bed. tell couple ppl to stop talking on phone. ask reception for blanket since non provided

Dec 15

slept ok considering place. rise 710. make cafe using water bottle, drink cafe and use comp on bed. try to pay another night but reception guy gone. walk out for laund, head across main st back to kid w decent eng quoted 150rs per kg, weigh bag 3.33 kg negotiate to 450r w no iron, ready tmr 10am. walk back to hostel area. eat at same place as yday directly across cst hostel, order chk chowmein got chicken masala w 2 rotis for 70rs. pay hostel 270rs for another night - need to wait for laundry and ball. take metro to dharavi station 40rs. walk to slums area, not as large as expected, bit grim, everyone seems to be washihng clothes. walk across st to other coop area not much.. take skywalk to next metro shitala to jss station 40rs. mumbai central train station walk to antilla most exp private res w armed guards in front. walk to milan gh pierres place pretty welcoming double fan room for 1350inr, pierre left today. grab lunch next door 110rs chk thali. walk to muhamed ali nothing, crawford mkt nothing interesting expect small puppies, walk to mumbai csmt unesco building boring af. take metro from csmt station back to marol naka 19 stops for 70rs bit sleepy. back at hostel around 430. shwr rest. 720 go out for food, 2 jokers at recepton asking me to pay again, told them i paid in morn, guy said 'i was sleeping' so i said ' ya ur sleepin now'. try to get chk chowmein across st again but got egg chowmeiin - messed order 2x straight, complain so fried some chicken for me 60rs guy tried to charge 80 but refused, constant friction but atleast metro today was smooth. walk around south area dumpy, enqurie about haircut said only 70inr crazy cheap.. clean up again. bed at 830 not much else to do. have to tell more ppl to shut up.. read bit of clarey housing crash