Beijing to North Korea (DPRK) - to another world

Waking to a busy, lively train while cramped in the top bunk of a sleeper is not most people’s idea of enjoyment and excitement but for me it is one of those days in the year that put a smile on my sleep. I had managed to survive the night without rolling off the bunk, kept myself warm from the onslaughts of air con blasts from the roof of my berth (thanks to my Vietnamese silk sleeping bag), and had manoeuvred my way up and down the three bunks twice during the course of the night without disturbing anyone, in pitch darkness on a moving wagon! 

As you can tell I was mighty pleased with myself! The top bunk is not many people's choice but it certainly means people won’t disturb you. I then sit up - bang! I hit my forehead square on the train roof! Good morning! Half crunch and that's the space in my bunk compromised. 

Then I need to manoeuvre out of the bunk, changing clothes and packing while the body is still waking up and muscles aren't quite stretched. It makes me wonder how I did this during the course of the night. Especially during my mid-sleep pee break!

Settled on the bottom bunk with my friend Emily we engage with the scene whipping past our window. Large limescale hills fill the background immersed in greenery, fields packed full of crops for as far as the eye could see. Small villages, packs of houses - neither the cottage kind, nor the high rise we had experienced through much of the country from Beijing so far, instead these were well-constructed brick/concrete abodes. The city had met the countryside. 

China is fast becoming a first world leader leaving behind its third world roots that I had come to understand as a child 20 years ago. It had leapt ahead. The train system seemed well designed, if somewhat delayed for a 14-hour journey, but the tracks are immaculate. Long roads of concrete embedded with thick iron railway tracks. Robust tunnels drilled into the descriptive countryside and above ground routes illustrating the countries commitment to sustainable travel. This is not a railway built for the sake of it; this rail network connects towns, cities, people, communities throughout the country with high-speed bullet trains and quality night sleepers that spreads travellers between air and land. 

For always the beauty of train travel is the opportunity to digest the scenic offerings of the country, take in the culture of locals travelling to visit friends and family and taking a step back from the chaotic nature of air travel and the stress of security. Though everywhere in Beijing they do rank their security of utmost importance, as we enter Tinnanamen Square and so too the train station our bags are scanned - though to be honest as I took a second look I wonder if its actually more routine than security caution! At which point it was just a hassle than stress. 

Beijing train station is huge and the two-storey departure lounge reflected the sheer size of the country and population. As we waited in our departure hall with hundreds of others taking the same train it certainly does dawn on me how well organised this country is, especially in comparison to near neighbour - India - whose chaotic platforms and deteriorating departure halls are a stark contrast. Yet both developing world leaders, as part of the BRIC countries, what's interesting to see is how each Chinese person is reasonably supported by the state, something India has failed to do - perhaps the nugget of communist capitalism, or a future for China to be weary of?!

See India travel post.

Judging India in Jaipur

It's to the north west of the country, in Rajasthan, Jaipur is the capital - a large city. Rajasthan was the last state to agree to be part of India.

 

It is the land of kings. It's part of the desert, and this wealthy part of India delivers one final resounding cultural insight to the country for my trip here. As I head from Delhi on a local bus that takes 6 hours stopping at every town along that way I see the change from central India to Rajasthan. More fields of corn, yellow fields being harvested by women in incredibly bright saris of multiple colours, carrying towers of gatherings a-top their heads. A few horse and cart help transport the harvest and then there’s the rare tractor. I've been transported back in time.

A highway is being built between Delhi and Jaipur, slicing through the middle of towns, cutting buildings in half as locals continue to try to operate businesses and homes that have been part-demolished. Pavements are made of the demolished rubble as kids and shoppers clamber their way along the road. The bus jaunts over and aside large potholes - it's a construction site on a massive scale.

I arrive in Jaipur and the atmosphere is instantly different to Delhi, the architecture more unique and original, it feels like there is a real heritage here that belongs to Rajasthan, my hotel - Umaid Bhawan Heritage Hotel - reflects the style of palaces in the region: it's ornate, slightly extravagant, visually rich.

The Pink City: painted to hide the cheap materials used to construct the inner walls. The heat of the day sets in early as I walk to the palace. The streets are lined with food markets that open early, and local shops begin to set up for the day. I stop at a temple and enter a conversation with the man on the door.

He asks me about Britain, I ask him about Jaipur, we exchange stories. Things are changing fast and it's having a cultural and social impact that is challenging and full of fear and strife. The recent rape cases in India purely highlighted the huge issues the country faces. Families that killed their first born, if a girl, force the country to now pay the price. There are less females, more males and therefore not enough to go around. Men cannot find wives and this is a social situation they don't wish to face - to be an unmarryable man! If they haven't found a partner by their mid-twenties sexual rage sets in. These men are virgins, now becoming desperate like a dog on heat. Men are now paying dowries instead of the girl’s family. Men are going on search for women from the city to the depths of the countryside. And women are taking advantage of this - marrying and taking all valuables and disappearing, then remarrying.

 

If this is how it is for the straight set what about gay Indians. Where does it leave them in social acceptance? 

India is still socially conscious. You must marry someone of a similar cultural standing. Women are still second rate and money and riches still mean a lot.

As I tour the city and visit the palaces and forts surrounding Jaipur you see much of the immense wealth the state has had. The investment in huge constructions that bare the mark of quality together with technical focus like water delivery, plumbing and toilets. This made me wish I had visited the more rural and smaller cities like Udaipur and beyond - the tales travellers had told me drew my imagination to the history and richness of the region. 

I explored the forts and palaces like a kid; running up and down staircases, winding in and out of alleyways and trying to get the most from my visits - I clicked away on my Cannon trying to get used to manual photos! 

I stopped by Monkey Temple, spending nearly 3 hours just watching the monkeys jump and dive into the algae filled water holes. It was kind of magical - but these were much less hassle than the people and kids below who just continually demanded money or items to sell to me. 10 days into my trip I had enough of this. I succumbed to a life beyond lone travel - I could only wish to be with a travel companion, not just to share this moment with but to throw them into the gauntlet to deal with these tourist touts so I could just hide.

I wanted to go home now! And it was certainly time to go back to the hotel with a pit stop to buy my final goods - some silk neck scarves and a final silk bed spread. With that...I was done.

I left early on the Thursday morning, back to Kolkata. I grabbed my things and headed home - dear home...

TOP TIP – when booking a coach make sure it is authenticated. Unfortunately I was sold a fraudulent ticket and the ‘said’ coach did not turn up. Do your best to use the local Tourist Information Centres, these are commercial, so not like Europe or USA where they are run by the local government, but at least there is more guarantee for legitimacy. Trying to finally get a bus to Jaipur was hard work and I ended up on a local public bus service…it should only have taken about 3 hours without stops to any other destination.

Gay India

India is a large country, 1.2 billion people, even taking just the basic 6% that those are gay make a total of 60miillon to 120 million gay people. The culture is religiously diverse with Muslim, Christian, Sikhs, Hindu, Buddhists. It's countrymen made of a wide range of Asians from Middle East, to China to southern, influenced by colonization by British, French, Dutch and Portuguese among others. With travelers from Europe, Australia and USA - it should make it a cauldron mixed of all the best yet orthodox ways and conservatism push homosexuality under the carpet.

In 2009 the Indian government repealed the age-old British law banning homosexuality. A step in the right direction. And some citizens in larger cities try to be recognized in Mumbai, Kolkata and Delhi yet the gay culture remains discreet.

Steps to equality must start somewhere and this repeal of the gay ban is the beginning. The increasing focus on women's rights and equality is going to go hand in hand with the recognition of gay people. Eunuchs (trans-type people) are called to provide good luck at marriages but then banished at all other times to their own world on the edge of societal existence. But where does that leave the gay man and girl?

The lesbian is all but visible. While for gay men there are ways - as visitors we can see them on gay meeting applications like gaydar, grinder and most of all Planet Romeo. To insiders it is a must to be part of special invite lists for local parties - all of which happen in just the major cities and even then limited to Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore and Kolkata and lucky if they occur weekly. There are also the traditional cruising grounds in existence, but where does that put homosexuality?

It's in the fringes - speaking to gay guys in Delhi they are happy that way . Using applications and cruising grounds keeps their identity safe - some say they live in Delhi because they can be who they want to be, but families and friends are still none the wiser. It simply gives them a way to practise their interests and in no way gives them the full freedoms.

I was lucky to meet Rohit who works for Pinkvibyor a gay travel agency - though from Mumbai where he says the city is vibrant with gay people and lifestyles he is still learning what life is like in Delhi. Gay nights weekly on the outskirts of Delhi - well a different town altogether - Noida - this is the safe kind of party. Its held in a bar - with a dj and alcohol. When i went - M Lounge- about 60 people were there, small number but perfectly filled the small joint. A group of cross dressers/ transsexuals danced the night away. I spoke to Melissa, dressed in a brightly colored sari, she has been living in Delhi for a year but had spent a few years in Berlin, to which she speaks enthusiastically about "Berlin it's amazing, one of the best cities on earth". Berlin is incredibly open and gay life there is one of the most equal in the world, yet she raves about Delhi.

Another meeting place is weekly in the Central Park on Connaught Place gay people meet on Sundays. The place is packed with groups of lads hanging out.

I first meet Mahindra - spends half his time between London and Delhi - he called me to join his group sat chilling out - he must have spotted my British mannerisms. I see the sparkle in the eye as he mentions his life on London and tries to convince me that Delhi is just as exciting.

I move round the park and speak to a group of lads on a bench. They enthusiastically tell me they are all bisexual - all 8 of them! I ask what life is like as a gay person and they say it is good. These men so obviously live double lives - then I discover a darker side, they're all escorts. The main speaker talks of his escort agency - Delhi Boys - which he started 2-3 years ago. It's doing well and saw an opportunity to build a business. 

According to my Delhi contact the city is rife with lads charging for their time: students with bills to pay, uneducated guys with a need to earn and then those simply finding it an easier way to earn money. They charge 1500-3000ruppees per hour barely £40. It's a living.

Even in the gay night there were plenty of escorts - many dressed in black as a signal: keen to sexually exploit themselves - make themselves available. It's hard to distinguish who they are, their English is amazing- better than many working in call centres (which is most of their occupations). So as a single gay man - how does it work?

Some talk of getting married to a woman at some point for the sake of their parents. Yet speaking to some elders during my India visit this is becoming more difficult - the recent rape cases are the result of years of neglect. Families disposing of female offspring in favour for a male heir - men out number women and therefore opportunities to marry significantly decline. Men without a women "go crazy. At the age of 24-25 years old, no woman, no sex. That's why we have so many rape cases. It's not like in Europe where sex is legal from 14-16 years old and frequently had, these men have never had it - so they have to find it.

It's a dark side to India that can only get worse. Men are hiding their sexuality, men are unable to find women. It's a vicious circle that can lead to slow progression in equality and sexual freedom.

Turn on Planet Romeo and its like a machine gun - guys are driving messages begging to meet, not to meet but to get their sexual fulfillment. If this is how the gay men feel with a sexual outlet how are the straight men going to behave?

The gap between rich and poor is growing by the day in India - and the cultural differences between cities and countryside will drive India to cultural despair. If campaigning for women's rights is tough then getting gay rights firm on the agenda is a long way off - especially if gay men are happy to let it slide and remain discreet.

See the Full Transcript of the interviews in the next blog 

http://pinkvibgyor.com/

Info@pinkvibgyor.com

Agra - make it a small pit stop!

I felt at peace! Was this the Varanasi effect?

I arrived 2 hours early, I wait patiently at Varanasi train

station gently nodding in our of sleep while watching other passengers calmly letting time pass. Trains were delayed - I couldn't tell if it was by minutes or hours. I wasn't too bothered mine was still on time. 

Other than a platform change at the last minute I found my carriage. An upgrade from my last journey. A 4-berth cabin. The carriage was pretty empty. The steward arranged my sheets and pillows then demanded money - I was bewildered - money money!

 

I fell straight to sleep and only woke at 6am when another passenger boarded my berth. I rolled over and slept further, my alarm rang at 7am to prepare me for my arrival in Agra at 7.30am. 8.30 came and I began to get nervous - were we that delayed? My fellow passenger woke at 9.30am and explained the train had been delayed 2 hours when she boarded - and was delayed by a further hour. We exchanged chitchat (it’s amazing how you pick up this word in India) and she advised me for the next hour until we finally rolled into Agra Fort.

 

Touts were awaiting me - I knew this beforehand but this would be the start of my dislike for Agra. They knew how to spin tourists. They hassle beyond hassle, walking with you the entire way waiting for you to give in. 

I made a wrong decision - bartered and took a rickshaw driver with a bad personality. Hotel bound we then fixed a day rate deal - big mistake number two! It would have been cheaper for separate rides and more at my own pace! 

First stop - Taj Mahal. 750R entry, no cigarettes nor video cameras allowed! Screwed again on both counts. The sky was hazy, thick with pollution, so the backdrop was not a stunning Rio blue. The Taj is terrific and worth the visit.

Next stop - Agra Fort, this is very impressive and worth spending about 2 hours whiling around. Fantastic architecture, fine design and brilliant views of the Taj. 

Finally I wanted to walk Taj Ganj for sunset, so I found a rooftop terrace enjoyed a Lassie ( a local milkshake type drink) whilst I chatted to a German traveller, then I moved to another rooftop for nighttime photography and dinner while chatting to yet another German traveller.

My night was done and having ended my tour with my rickshaw driver earlier, I negotiated a deal that was half the rate to get to my hotel. Typical

That was my time in Agra done! 

Varanasi - the holy city - the city of lights

The guidebooks tell you, photography shows you but you will never know until you visit. It's its own world - separated from the rest of India driven by the flow of the Ganges, living in its historical belief system with immense strength and dignity. Though its much more complex than that.

Varanasi sits in a blaze of heat from about 9am, a walk along the Ghats is an excellent way to begin understanding the lifestyle here: bathing in the Ganges, washing clothes, as children play and cows cool down. Debris of the previous night’s light ceremony drive in the water, and flower petals decorate the edges. A haze forms on the other side as the sun increases its mighty strength.

Become exposed to the holy ritual of burning dead bodies on the shoreline, three hours of burning and the body is reduced to ashes then scattered into the river. Bodies of children, the sick, and pregnant mothers are strapped to an almighty stone and dropped in the middle of the river. 

The hospice here supports all of those ready to die and widows waiting for life to be taken from them.

From here, get lost in the maze of the Old City. The Labyrinth. There's no easy way around nor easy way out. Here is the place to buy your goods, and to haggle hard. But the journey to escape into familiar territory or that documented in guide books can only occur once you have once again reached the river - good luck with that! But let the Ghats guide you!

The Main Street market is a hive of activity with an array of stores catering to fashion, clothes, sill and jewellery. Here - also enjoy the hustle of Varanasi life - people trading, selling and buying in a busy street with cycle rickshaws and moto rickshaws among bikes, carts and scooters weave between one another. 

Varanasi s not a clean place, it maybe holy and it has some excellent photo opportunities - read more on Varanasi - Holi Festival.

Working & Visiting Kolkata

Excited about coming to Incredible India I was greeted with warmth, excitement, humility and respect - as I traveled I unearthed the tarnished India, unrelenting pestering that was beyond irritating, it felt threatening. There were times I unfelt unsafe as a lone traveler. The more welcome I received the more weary I became, I had a right too - their inquisitive approach soon turned to demands of selling to get their hands upon my white cash.

Read my blog series on my visit to the Golden Triangle in the Mid-North of India.(this is post 1)

I started my travels as a corporate executive visiting my then client for a week’s training on communications and marketing for the in-house marketing team and to develop awareness on marketing tactics for the customer service, technology teams and development units.

I have been working with Indians since 2007. There’s a big corporate cultural differences between Europe and India and over time barriers were reduced and communication became more fluid. My in-house marketing team were global in their outlook but I knew to expect something different from the 100+ strong team based in Kolkata.

My flight was easy, using Emirate Airlines – definitely one of the best airline companies I have ever flown with. Their attitude was endearing, attentive and while it wasn’t top-notch it definitely beat the European airlines on attitude.  The entertainment system is phenomenal, and transferring at Dubai airport just gives you a huge sense of the impact that this new Airport Hub has on global travel.

Landing in Kolkata the company’s driver collected me from the airport and drove me to my hotel where I would spend the week. As we departed the airport huge swabs of land had been clearly divided, as large construction was under way. It occurred to me that India was growing rapidly. (As at this time I also write on China, the similarities in construction are minimal, it’s all high-rise).

I remarked on this growth to my Indian colleagues. To me it was positive, it was the future. To them they saw it as little more than irritation that the country was still very much behind. This was my first step into India and I was expecting to see a completely different side, and certainly over 3 weeks it became much more apparent.

However, a technology firm of this nature was not entirely behind the times. It operated globally, IBM was next door, they have air-conditioning, a road network. On exploring Kolkata further it was possible to see people divided between rich and poor. This gap is expanding by the day. Poorer people treated as third-rate citizens, even those with whom they worked. It grew complex when it comes to money, cast, creed, and education. On one look at someone an Indian can tell you where someone fits on a social scale and how they should be accepted into a group.

 

The road to central Kolkata was long, as we entered the British colonial zone I could start to feel the sense of my own history. What had we as British done? Was it good? Was it bad? Had we helped bring the Indians into a global economy or had we hindered it. The British created the Rail system. Huge construction programmes were delivered for the buildings that are still standing after over 100 years, but was this really positive, or had we held the country back?

 

With a global population of over 1 billion, the Indians are still struggling to control the growth and this is obvious with the shantytowns and the split between rich and poor. It was evident here in Kolkata because I know people here, they tell me their life and their stories and I see what other people have to live for.

 

The fact there that is a huge memorial building for Queen Victoria pretty much demonstrated the power we had in the country over 100 years ago. Perhaps if we had taken India with us during that time they wouldn’t have the issues they experience today – but I guess the West wanted, and still want, cheap products.

For information on Gay Kolkata – visit my post: http://ryanchaynes.blogspot.de/2013/03/finding-gay-kolkata-india.html

Finding Gay Kolkata, India

I've not spent long enough in Kolkata to get to the heart of the gay life, nor touch the gay night life, but on initial inspection it looked sparse.

My usual connection grounds of Facebook were blank, Grindr delivered little except maybe 5 people within 100km, but while chatting I discovered that if you're going to GO GAY here in Kolkata you need to be switching on Planet Romeo, or Gay Romeo as it's otherwise known.

Download the application on your Smart Phone and within seconds it will start bleeping like it's never bleeped before.

There are no bars, you have to wait for an invite - and these events, event the locals state - are few and far between. There was one advertised on Planet Romeo itself while I was here, however I missed it due to pre-planned activity.

But a few words of advice
- Meet gay kolkata indians in a safe-space
- Most gay kolkata indians do not have their own place, so need to travel - and be discreet
- If going to a gay party, be aware, keep valuables safe as pick-pocketing is expected
- They all seem a little eager
- WiFi is HARD to come across, it's not freely available, and there are FEW WiFi networks here.

The best area will be the Salt Lake City, or in the Old Town - this is where they mostly reside.

You will also catch a lot of people from Bangladesh on these applications.

The more happening gay cities are Mumbai and Delhi...More updates to come!

WTM – part two: the gay products about to send you on your way

The gay and lesbian before long will be spoilt for choice, slowly getting to a point of greater tolerance, acceptance, inclusion and respect within the travel industry. Further as more countries derail their homophobia and build real cornerstones of support and inclusivity we will have much further to travel.

India itself has decriminalised homosexuality (from an outdated British law), and countries towards the Middle East (including Israel and Turkey) are making major inroads – especially as Tel Aviv is one of the hottest gay spots of the Mediterranean.

But what else? Well it’s not all sunshine, beach bodies and bronzing  - gay ski weeks in North America have been growing for sometime, but now Europe has its fair share of ski weeks, including one at Les Deux Alps in April Switzerland’s Arosa Gay Ski Week [http://www.gayskiweek.ch/en/] is now fixed running between 8 – 15 January 2011. Set in the idyllic Swiss Alps surrounded by men on skis and boards – rampaging down the slops, yum! Who wants to warm them up after a cold day in the mountains?

Another development in Switzerland is that the Tourism board is actually putting all its hotels through a certification programme for their gay credentials. Switzerland Tourism has become the first national tourism organisation to join the GayComfort training and certification program. All GayComfort certified properties will be listed on www.MySwitzerland.com/gaylesbian and staff will have undertaken dedicated online training on LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender) travel issues via http://www.GayComfort.com. Making selection of hotels much much easier.

Fancy a trek to somewhere new and exciting? Well, India is preparing itself and with the website of hand-picked gay welcoming hotels – Further Afield [http://www.furtherafield.com] is soon to add properties in India. Alternatively, grab a tour with gay tour specialist Yellow Brick Road http://www.yellowbrickroadtours.com/ taking you to places not traditionally gay – but that certainly have a vibrant gay culture.

If you fancy something incredible prepare for San Paulo’s gay pride event where they are expecting over 4.5million visitors in 2012, it was recorded as the largest gay pride in the world – so Brazil is the place to be!

With one further exciting developments in the gay travel space – World Rainbow Hotels will open its doors in 2012 with more products, packages and offers for the gay and lesbian traveller. Here you will be able to learn about destinations, book online from selected gay-friendly and certified gay-welcoming properties of all star ratings and qualities. 

All round a great year and brilliant development for the gay travel market.