Dec 23 – Dec 31
Dec 23 Mapusa and Panjim
man tits snoring above again. guy talking on phone woke me up at 840. rise 920 make reg cafe on terace last moring.. checkout of sortby siolim 1035 good stay, needs metal lockers, bunk curtains, and fix gap by bunk wall. walk to corner reg bhaji w samosa n cookie 70rs. wait at bus stop at tri corner w bench, wait over 30min no buses at all in either direction, try to hitchhike about 15min local on motorbike w good eng heading to mapusa gave me a ride. jump off bike at busy rd, walk 5min to shree courier retrieve orange massage ball veronica hotel in surat #missionaccomplished. walk to big mkt get papaya juice 70rs, get food at another place chk sandwich n beef samosa 180rs, brush teeth in sink catch local bus at terminal to panjim shitty bus and shitty roads but only 20rs. arrive panjim 205pm, walk around downtown pretty chill town no crazy traffic, one hostel wanted 1500inr for dorm, another hotel w big room wanted 4500inr. walk to cafe w wifi, booked villa khatun gh bit far south 1237rs fan. walk about 2km over hill to khatun gh, smooth checkin pay 1237rs on card nice fan room good size just bit far. nicer than expected w small kitchenette. try book hampi bus but makemytrip messed again. redbus seems to work but date messed due to system clock, change clock on asus n price changed on redbus! decide to walk to terminus to look for ticket per gemini suggstions. walk back twd terminus find chicken pastrires 2x40rs, coconut at terminal 60rs w pulp. find guv sleeper bus 850inr no ac prob sketchy. walk around patto area find several tour operators all have to call in for info prices range 1400-1600inr for upper single ac sleeper and all have to call somebody for some reason.. walk back to hotel twilight. take bird bath, book redbus for tmr 7pm parrikar travels 1260rs upper single ac per usual 740 walk out for food, hike back to downtown area, grab chk schwarma on st busy place 80rs. walk around to center, icici bank withdraw 10k inr x2 coste 164cad x2. chk byrani across st 100rs gud portion. pickup 50 small nescafe pax for 100rs next door - def the right block. listen to choir silent night next to soccer and bball players - goa def most western state. walk along boardwalk nice walk zero motors. walk back via windy hills st, grab another schwrma for 80rs. walk back windy hill st via maruti hindhu temple.
Dec 24 Clearing Mental Load and Goa Exit
draftiest room ever w gaps around entire ceiling, zero soundproofing w construction noise and woman talking next door. rise 9am, dumped msv shares after 4yrs meager profit. boil water make a hot coffee first time in long time.. checkout khatun 1035 nice spot albeit major draft zero insulation and construction next door. walk around back to patto area find restaurant w ac inside building no thali til 12 order omelet w bread 90rs. find bus park for 7pm. walk around central area so many female groups taking photos.. walk to old quarter hostel to use wifi, brownie 110rs. nice feeling of clearing mental load for now.. 220 walk around main church for lunch, get dominos 4cours 104rs combo strong ac feel ok. hot af outside walk back to old quarter again got old seat not busy, local indian offered to buy me food, decline. find cheapest way back to Canada so far del-jfk 31k+ inr nyc-yyz for 7.7kinr under 600cad return to yyz.. 550 walk back to new indoor omelet place by bus station order fish thali menu said 120rs but got big thali for 250rs feel bit ripped but ok portion size. arrive bus park guy said wait 10min so stand at plaza, go back at 7 said bus gone or smth.. follow guy to bus on street guy seemed agitated im late.. wtf wierd indian friction. top bunk bit cramped cant lie down straight.
Dec 25 Hampi Crowds and the "Ripped" Lodge
12am stop for dinner by adlura village chk masala w roti 300rs bit ripped again. slept bit on bus bit cold. arrive hospet 6am, avoid reg tuk mob. start walking twd towns, find group yoga at freedom park with free mats - start kneeling, pancake, alt nasal breathing in cross leg. walk over 9km to kaddiramapura town around 9am not many bikes along way.. sugarcane plantations n oxcarts. get dosa at village 60rs all homestays full. catch tuk last leg for 100rs to hampi, tonnes of indian student tourists, check few ghs all full. somehow msv spiked 45% after selling yesterday.. follow local to All is well lodge wants 2500inr per night told him way too much, eventually negotiate to 6000rs for 3n small room nothing special.. feel totally ripped most paid in asia. try all is well restaurant across st surprisingly good work space.. order black cafe w omelet n bread 130rs food way more reasonable.. clean up 12p walk to main temple ruins packed w indian tourists.. walk to matanga hill thru private rd only private for indians.. matanga hill w nice view, walk down other side faint n rough trail w no other ppl back to main town street traffic packed, left shoe blown up need new asics now.. walk back thru main tremples to alliswell. try local food spot upstairs thali 180rs ng just lentils n yogurt. chat w french swiss older guy rides motorcyles around living in india 15yrs been visiting hampi 40ys, says 800inr typical rural lodge price, pays 1400inr gas for 1000km on bike, said unesco ruined many places in town no puns. shwr nap hard 2hrs. 6p twilight hike around temple ruins again still packed. order thali at allisgood 200rs bit slow. try to buy tik from del -JFK 31k inr but asking for pan#
Dec 26 Max Friction Day
dogs barking like crazy nonstop cant sleep. go outside at 4am kick 1 dog chase others around while cursing. slept 2-3hrs. owner knocking at 755 told me to check out. pack stuff got 4000rs refund. walk around find chill cafe w power no wifi. order bfast parathi w cafe 160rs, walk thru rough trail thru ruins ranga temple to kamalapura town w bus stop, all hotels full except fancy place wants 8k for suite. take bus to hospet 20rs packed. walk 1.5km to junction, tik to gadag 50rs. got ac seat empty car. comfy train decide to keep goin to next city hubli. jaw ex on train, train went north instead. inspector check told him fell asleep. stop at badami, bus to center 12rs paid 20rs no change. all hotels full again. walk up to temple secluded take moment. bus station bus back to junc packed like sardines 6rs. buy tik to hubli ez 65rs leaving in 5min at 535. got sleeper section not busy, guy told me to move to general so just sat on lower bunk. train not direct, arrive back at gadag 7pm. wait for right train to hubli on north track counterintuitive. train finally left 750 late. another inspector told me to move to front of train w same empty bunks. arrive hubli 855 station east of junction not marked on map. chk gurani in station 180rs. walk 2km to central, not many hotels, few all full. chatotic n dusty. use wifi at business hotel book place in next town. walk back twd train station, mentally prep to spend night at train station. find modern dormitory only 250rs dorm w steel lockers, 250rs deposit, best lockers so far. guy said 24hrs can stay til 1030 tmr night. clean up n pay 50rs for towel n 2 blankets for curtain. rest from high friction and noisy day.
Dec 27 Booking the Return Trip
sleep intermittent again, indians keep tallking loud in dorm. rise 10am find table workplace in dorm only 1, make cafe, confirm hostel is 24hrs checkout 1030pm first time experiencing that.. book flight from DEL-JFK on mar24 935pm gulfair 292eur used gotogate dutch vpn cost 472cad. book 2nd leg jfk-yyz mar25 450pm aircanada 66eur used gotogate w dutch vpn again cost 107cad.1220 walk out for food laundry new shoes, cant find laund, try chk biryani around corner 120rs. find mall w knockoff nikes for 1200inr bs. chill at hostel feel moderately productive w return trip sorted. 2p walk out search for laund n shoes, only laund place closed. walk around actually alot of shoe options mostly knockoff, find used nikes on street look real for 400inr.. find adidas store 3k-8k inr. mall w mr diy. 4p grab chk wrap n egg wrap at kolkata spot 100rs for both, some mall w more knockoffs. find shoe repair stall get left asics stitched 3rd repair for 100rs. hostel wifi busted tell guy to reset router worked, pay another night 250rs solid deal w free water n best lockers so far, cheap city. chill bit in hostel no competition for workplace, actuallly feel relaxed. 740 walk around corner for food try small spot chk fried rice w extra fish 140rs. chill more at workplace. bit bored, back neck bridge on bunk 2x30reps. bed at 1140 guys snoring
Dec 28 Dorm Wars
2 guys snoring loud, kick fat guy and skinny guy few times, lite nap, 3 guys checkin around 3am talking loud tell them to shutup and kick fat guy hard he actually confronted me so told him to pissoff - real rough nite should leave this dorm. eventually got some sleep as snoring subsided. rise 920 tonnes of guys talking loud and making noise group of kids checking out. make reg cafe at workspace not much work 4 day trading hiatus. 1120 try ellora veg thali 120rs too watery. walk around look for earplugs n hotel, find neither. pray at hindu temple. walk to train junction nearby not the same as one i got off 2 days back, only 2 trains to margao 9am+1030pm, train to dharwad every 90min. hostel wifi busted again get reception to reset. 240 ask to change bed to by desk, go out for food mall st get lunch at same spot egg roll n chk roll for 100rs. mall mr diy no earplugs. hostel switch bed to 14 by window n desk most private.. pay 260rs another night n towel. vid chat w mom 45min wants to open account for Noah, wants me to conoslidate stock accounts, didnt get apple promo, wants me to buy house said more stable than equity mkt. activate dragonpass app on phone. 730 walk around corner for food try another biryani n fish spot 140rs again solid fish poriton. chill in dorm, coaches talking about soccer kids tell them im goin to bed
Dec 29 Some Recovery
no audible snoring only ppl talking best rest in a week. wake 9am rise 940 good bed change decision. make reg cafe.. chill at desk pretty relaxed. 1130 grab food around corner try busy standup spot fried chipaties w 2 dips only 40rs, walk around for more food but didnt see anything. chill at desk relaxed. book 3 star hotel in next town dharwad for nye 1114rs cost 17.4cad. 220p grab biryani at wrap spot 100rs busy. chill more, shwr nap gud couple hrs, recover sleep debt. 6pm research potential house hacking around tricity -prob unfeasbile. wifi keeps cutting out. 7p walk around corner get same chk biryani n fish spot only 130rs. fix wifi keep researching brantford house need 3600 rent to carry 500k house w 20% down, gpt says 2% of deals might work.. try to setup ws virtual card on amazon, cant pay ws credit card balance on site wtf...940 head back to sandwich spot for egg roll 40rs solid.
Dec 30 Minor Admin
some heartburn from eating late. more snorers, eventually slept ok. sleepin til 1030. chill morn do some admin tasks, moms pw file, clean asus disc w gemini using del /f /s /q C:\Windows\SoftwareDistribution* recovered 20Gb storage. chill at desk listen to music rest more try to fast due to minor stomach discomfort. 2p try dominos across from sandwich spot, 4pc combo 105rs no card pmt or reg coke.. walk down 1 block try smoothie kiwi n pinapple 70rs decent. give coke to reception and pay another night 250rs last night. shwr rest, very lazy day. chat w gpt n gemini 740 walk south for food as usual, find laundry place wants 80inr per piece wtf.. grab reg sandwich spot try chk thali 180rs w chipati found hair in sauce.
Dec 31 NYE in Dharwad
dorm almost empty quietest night so far. ppl talking loud at dawn expected. rise 950 rested. chill morn make reg cafe at desk dorm emptied out. 1130 walk around for food, grab coconut by sandwich spot 40rs, get egg n chk wraps at sandwich spot 100rs stuffed. chill in hostel. checkout modern dormitory 130 get 250rs deposit, solid deal but no outdoor space. walk to hubli junction real close, express train ticket to dharwad 35rs, complain self serve says 10rs guy said xpress ticket or smth.. 220pm train on time, sit in ac cabin on bunk.. shortest rail ride so far, arrive dharwad 245pm. walk to hotel grt square get small ac room, hammering noise, guy said will stop at 4pm.. walk around small circle for laund n food, laundry place closed, dont feel hungry, buy snax n water. scrape teeth in room, listen to music, pounding stopped just after 4p. walk out for food, find laund spot said 30rs per piece seems reasonable.. walk around veg market less traffic than hubli, buy earpick w tweezer n pick at outdoor veg market only 20rs. eat at street chicken stall, chk pieces + bread + samosa 85rs. take hot shower first in awhile scrub body gunk. wash clothes in sink w soap provided, only 1 outfit not enough drying racks. mobility on bed - kneeling strech, side splits, frog w ankle raises, half lotus 5/10. grab kfc downstairs busy but fast 313rs combo w wings. chill in room. 10p try to get kfc again said closed. firewords from window at midnight