Since we bought the land to build our farm on, a lot has been done, but if you haven’t seen it yet, check out the previous video where we first visited the land deep in the jungle. Back then, we had to hack through the wild bamboo forest with machetes to reach it, but now we can actually drive there, although only with a 4x4 vehicle or 2 wheeler, as the trail can be quite treacherous in places and pretty much impassable for a regular car.

But even before building the road, we built a bamboo hut or “thlam”. This type of hut is common on every farm in the region, and typically used to rest and cook in, during the day while working on the farm, and sometimes to sleep in.. and in our case to have a party in!

The actual construction was pretty fast, a couple of weeks part time, using bamboo cut from the surrounding jungle. All lashed together with bamboo strips - no nails or screws or metal fastenings, no concrete or bricks.

Inside the hut there was even a place to cook over an open fire, which was somehow achieved without burning the hut down.

Once the hut was built, a group of us we went to stay for a night, and there were about 11 or 12 people squashed in like sardines in a can.. some less sober than others!

Surrounding the hut was thick jungle and pitch darkness, no doubt filled with wild animals watching us. There were rumors of Asian black bears in the area, which were later proven - watch the video for more on that!

After the wild night in the jungle hut, it was time to get started on turning that jungle into an actual farm, and the next step (after building the hut), was improving access - we needed a road.

We hired a guy with a JCB to do the heavy work of cutting a jeep trail through the jungle, right up to the middle of our land (more or less). It took about two weeks, and at times we were worried he might not make it as the ground was too rocky, not to mention steep - our farm is basically on the side of a mountain, which makes it picturesque at least. But he finally found a way through, and built what is practically a highway compared to what it was. Of course the harsh monsoon seasons would do their best to destroy the road in future, but it was looking good so far.

While we had the guy digging the road, we decided to also get him to dig a pond for irrigation use. This had to be high up so we could use gravity to bring water down to the planted areas, so he somehow drove his JCB up what looked like a vertical slope to me, carved out a flat area on the side of the mountain and then dug a big pit for the pond. I was impressed what one guy with a JCB could achieve!

After the pond hole was dug, a simple structure was built over it, with a tin roof and gutters to collect rainwater and channel into the pond, which was lined with a rubbery pond liner material. This structure is what we now call the “pool house”.

Once the road and pond was complete we needed to clear the land for planting, and the traditional method used locally was basically slash & burn. A bunch of hardy locals with machetes cut their way through a large area of forest, flattening everything around. After which, the burning began - a dangerous process but the locals were well used to it and knew what they were doing.. having said that, our new bamboo hut did end up getting burned down in the process! It was nice while it lasted… fortunately it was quickly rebuilt. These huts are not meant to be permanent structures, typically being used for one year and then abandoned as the farmers move to another area for the next years planting.

With the land now cleared (not all of the land though, just a few acres in the middle to start with), it was time to start planting something. We bought a bunch of Mango trees, lots of Areca/Betelnut, and a random assortment of other fruit trees (Guava, Papaya, Durian and more). We then planted Banana between all the fruit trees, which would in theory help them to survive and thrive.

Irrigation pipes were later installed, which was no easy task on the steep slopes, and drippers put next to every tree (not the bananas though). The monsoon rains filled the pond, and when the dry season arrived we started using the collected water to irrigate the trees so they could survive until the next rainy season.

Not everything survived though - most of the Papaya plants failed, but we still got a few doing well. Bananas mostly grew well, and our Mango trees are looking pretty healthy. We’re doing all this using organic principles (although not yet officially registered as organic), so no nasty chemicals here, just nature and a bit of luck!

More land will be cleared and there will be more trees planted, more disasters, more failures, and fun along the way… and maybe even more bears and other creatures of the wild!

But lets rewind… the taxi was waiting, and my wife was hurrying me into it, to go to a remote village where we would be looking at some land which was for sale. This was in North East India, about as far from where I came from as you could imagine. For me, everything here is an adventure waiting to happen.

After a two hour drive along a narrow winding road, bouncing through potholes, narrowly avoiding collisions with oncoming trucks, passing through small villages where kids would shout and point excitedly when they saw me in the car (few foreigners venture here), crawling along through thick fog at times, we arrived at the village and piled out of the taxi. The owner of the land was waiting for us, and after some discussion in a language I didn’t understand, we set off on foot the rest of the way, as no car could go any further.

We quickly exited the village itself and hiked along a muddy jungle trail. There were clouds and rain at times, but nothing too bad so we kept going. There was a group of us now, including the taxi driver who also wanted to see the land, and several of them were carrying machetes. I was not.

What did they know, that I did not? What had I got myself into? I would soon find out…

The hike was easy at first, just a pleasant walk through the forest on a clear trail and a gentle slope, but after a while the path got steeper and the going got harder. But we forged on, well I forged on, mightily like a great explorer of days gone by, at least in my mind… for the rest of the group it was still just an easy stroll in the park.

At some point we turned off the main trail along a very narrow path that followed a valley and after a short while walking that path we stopped and hands were pointed at the mountain facing us on the other side of that valley - there was the land for sale!

There was bamboo growing wild as far as the eye could see, with old native forest trees growing amongst it. But otherwise I couldn’t make out much of anything.

By this time the rain had started falling more heavily, and we made our way back to the main trail and then continued to follow that again, until we reached a small farm hidden amongst the forest covered hills. There was a small bamboo hut and we made our way there, where to my surprise we were expected and food was already being prepared for us on an open fire inside the bamboo hut.

I could eat! After all the exertion of the hike, this meal was very welcome indeed! The food was served on banana leaves, eaten with fingers, and washed down with soup served in cups. It really hit the spot.

We sat in the hut during the worst of the rain, looking out over the farm from the open sides of the bamboo hut, which was raised off the ground a couple of meters. Thick clouds rolled past, thunder sometimes boomed, and raw nature embraced us. On distant hills we could see tiny trails of smoke rising from an open fire in other bamboo huts, mostly likely on other small farms hidden in the jungle. The sounds of birds and cicadas were all around us, the smell of the jungle filled our noses, and I found myself feeling like I was in another world..

this was not the city anymore… this was

something very different.

I could have stayed there for hours, days even, it was like a state of meditation for me. But we had to go, and at that point I knew not where, since nobody told me… I just followed along and absorbed the atmosphere.

We again reached the valley where we had turned off briefly earlier, but this time on the other side of that valley we turned off and followed what was allegedly a footpath, but was straining the limits of that definition.. we clambered over logs, crawled through a tunnel of bushes, passed an old abandoned bamboo hut and headed deep into the jungle.

Those in front hacked a way through the bamboo - aha! This was what the machetes were for!

The path was steep, the rain made it very slippery and old bamboo spikes sticking out of the ground made it treacherous. I clung to the bamboo and tree branches along the way, hauling myself upwards and forwards into the forest along the invisible trail. Others in the group looked at me and wondered if I even knew how to walk properly… they practically floated through the jungle while I stumbled and staggered and slipped and climbed back up over and over.

I had no idea how long we would be hiking like this, I was exhausted but also exhilarated.. this was a real adventure!

The path clearers ahead had stopped and soon I caught up with them. This was it, this was the edge of the land for sale! But all I could see all around was bamboo and trees, so not much to go by.

We took a rest and then turned around to start the hike back to the village.

I knew this jungle was filled with all kinds of death - cobras, vipers, giant spiders, scorpions, bears, wild hogs, wild cats, malarial mosquitoes and more. This thought was increasingly in my mind as the sun began to go down, and I stumbled and staggered on… but in the end the only thing that bit me was a couple of leeches which had hitched a ride along the way.

By the time we reached the village it was completely dark, and there was a power cut in the area, making it even darker. We sat on the porch of the land owners house and had a very short discussion… and decided to go ahead and buy the land.

That wild patch of remote jungle would one day become an organic farm, and our retirement plan, at least that was our hope!

Make sure to follow along to find out how it goes.. if it was a good idea or not.. no doubt there will be disasters along the way and more adventures to be had!

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“Don’t go there”, is often what you will hear from people in the know when you mention your plans to go there.

So naturally I went there… because stupid is as stupid does, and because I wanted to see for myself if its reputation is at all justified.

One thing I can say for certain - it’s not quiet. It’s a long way from quiet.

Well I’m over 50 and I’ve been around, I’ve seen things, surely I can handle Paharganj.. right?

Right!

So I booked a hotel on booking.com and set forth. Arriving late at night, in the transport provided by the hotel from the airport, I found the hotel to be on a very narrow back street, and I was wondering if perhaps this was wise.

But I needn’t have worried. I checked in and was shown to my room, which turned out to be quite decent, and quiet.

I am on a limited budget but I still need my comforts - AC, private bathroom, no strangers sharing the room, a mattress that doesn’t feel like a wooden plank.. and some other requirements which I will cover in a future post.

Here’s a couple of views of the room:

Not bad, right? Also not expensive.

After a what remained of the night had passed, and I finally managed to drag myself out of bed, I set about planning my exploration of Paharganj. The beating heart is Main Bazar Rd, so that’s where I had to go. It’s also on the way to Connaught Place, the fancypants heart of Delhi, which I was also considering checking out.

I unpacked my new camera, attached it to my chest for POV recording, grabbed a bottle of water, and ventured out from the safe space of the hotel.

I had planned ahead and intended to use the backtrack feature on my Apple watch to ensure I can find my way back to the hotel, but then I couldn’t get the damn thing working.. 🤦‍♂️ So I just had to rely on my built-in Mark 1 brain satnav as usual.

I probably should have tested that watch feature before leaving the hotel - I’ve had the watch for years but never bothered using that functionality. Decided that since now I am to be a proper travel vlogger, this is my moment to use it! But it wasn’t. Ah well, next time.

Off I went on my merry way, turning onto ever more busy streets, the chaos enveloping me with a 3D wall of sound.

Beep beep beeeeeep beep beep beeeeeeeeeeep beeeeeeep beep etc etc…

The noise is just relentless, but not unexpected. This was not my first time in India, just my first time in Paharganj, and constant beeping is par for the course in many (but not all) parts of India. So I soldiered on, weaving through the tuktuks and cars and crowds and street dogs.

Sometimes the dogs in Delhi are kinda scary… they know their territory, they know who lives there, they know who doesn’t belong, and they sometimes let you know that you shall not pass!

But today was not one of those days. Today, in the heat and humidity of the monsoon, the dogs just could not be bothered with any of that shit.. it was a free pass for all, while the dogs snoozed away the day.

Score one for Tourist vs Paharganj.

I passed a row of street food places, which looked and smelled pretty good, but I know the sensible traveller’s rules, and I’m determined to avoid the dreaded Delhi Belly, so I kept going.

A friendly chap started chatting as we walked, and suggested I go to Connaught Place, rather than Paharganj. That’s a very different vibe, a lot more upmarket, but not my target for this trip. Soon after that, as I reached the start of Main Bazar, someone else said pretty much the same - go to Connaught Place, but he explained further - he warned me of the pickpockets, he said it’s not safe here. I thanked him and headed into Main Bazar anyway.

It crossed my mind that all these people advising me to go to Connaught Place perhaps have a business there catering to tourists and so they were just trying to steer me in that direction.. who knows? Maybe I’m just overly suspicious.

Anyway, back to Main Bazar. Along the way there were many hotels, spas, travel agents, shops and businesses of one kind or another, and plenty of people milling around. But my pockets remained stubbornly unpicked. Nobody bothered me in the slightest.

There were hardly any foreign tourists around that day, I saw just one foreign couple. There may have been plenty of Indian tourists or travellers, heading to and from the budget hotels in the area, and among them I presumably stood out like a sore thumb - an easy target, one would think.

Perhaps the riffraff took the day off? Who knows.

The heat was wearing me down though, and my chest mounted camera, filming in 4K the whole time, was becoming too hot to touch and I was concerned it would soon melt. So I started making my way back to my hotel, longing for the cool breeze from the AC with the fan on max.

I survived my first walk around Paharganj. It wasn’t nearly as bad as many have claimed. Sure the traffic was noisy, there were plenty of people milling around, but mostly nobody paid any attention to me, in fact far less hassle than at the big tourist sites in India.

Score another one for Tourist vs Paharganj.

Back in the comfort of my hotel room, after cooling down, it was time to eat. Would this be the part of Paharganj that gets me? I ordered a veg thali, masala chai, and a refreshing glass of lassi.

That hit the spot, and no ill effects were suffered.

Score yet another one for Tourist vs Paharganj - that’s a hattrick! Tourist wins.

Or perhaps Paharganj was the real winner - it was an interesting place to visit, interactions with locals were always friendly, nobody hassled me, nobody tried to sell me anything (other than an occasional tuktuk offering a lift), no problems at all besides the heat.. and even though it was monsoon season, it didn’t even rain while I was there!

Perhaps in peak season, things are different there. Wandering around alone at night time may also be inadvisable, as it is in many cities of the world for a tourist (or even a local). Will I be back? Quite likely yes. There is still more to see and explore in that part of Delhi, and another couple of days there would be good, perhaps before my next flight out of India.

As I checked out of my hotel, they gave me two bottles of water for my journey, and then their driver took me to the airport for the next leg of my trip. It’s a very different place next!

The Details

Hotel: Hotel City Pride
Cost per night: 2242 inr ($23)
Transport: Hotel provided free airport pickup. In the area I just walked. Note though that Uber is very popular and useful in Delhi, so even if a hotel doesn’t provide transport, it’s easy to get around without getting ripped off.
Food: I just ate in the hotel.. food there was pretty good.

Got any questions, comments, feedback? Let me know!

It seems like the dream life.. relax on a beach, shoot some footage, write some articles, post some tweets, and magically acquire legions of followers, and then somehow get paid for this.

Sounds easy, looks easy when others do it, so why not me?

So in my late 50s, I took the plunge and booked a passage to India.

But is it too late? Am I too old for this sh!t? Is it harder than it looks?

*spoiler alert* Yes it is!

Will anyone notice my content among the countless other travel blogs and vlogs by people far younger, thinner and more photogenic than me?

Well we’ll see.

So besides blogging and vlogging the travel itself, I will also be posting about my attempt to become a travel vlogger - regular updates on the journey to that goal, with the progress made, the successes and failures, and the challenges faced and hopefully overcome.

Things will surely go wrong, as in fact they did today, but that will be in the next article, so to follow along and find out how my travel vlogging trip today failed miserably, make sure to hit that subscribe button.

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Now is the monsoon of my discontent

So I guess I have a substack now, but why? What will it be about? I’m still working out that bit, but for this first post I’m following the template advice from Substack.. so let’s see where this leads!

Too young for a pension, too old for a new job

The world is changing fast, endless wars, barking mad politicians, global economies in upheaval, and on top of it all, AI is taking over our lives and increasingly our jobs…

After finding myself on an unplanned early retirement and being well over 50, with little hope of getting hired in tech now, I had to make a change.

Instead of sitting around in limbo until I’m old enough to get my pension, I chose to set forth on a new adventure.. a somewhat fiscally challenged adventure, but that’s part of the fun!

So I booked a passage to India.. because where better to start an adventure?

A place for over 50’s adventures

My journey already began, I’m traveling around India now, even though it’s the monsoon season, and I’m deciding along the way, where to go next.

I plan to blog and vlog my travels, along with posting articles with what I’ve learned along the way, travel advice, cool locations, unforgettable experiences, and tips & tricks to survive adventures in exotic countries with a limited budget but no desire to bunk in backpacker hostels or take horrendously long bus journeys.. I still like my comforts, as I’m sure most of you do too.

If you have any tips and tricks of your own, or if you’re in a similar boat on a similar journey, please share!

Substack insists I should put a subscribe button here, so there ya go..

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Feel free to click it and subscribe to follow and share the adventure.. I aim to post at least weekly.

Maybe it will inspire you to also throw caution to the wind (to a sensible extent 😉 ) and start your own adventures from the better side of 50.

Now here’s a sunrise from the very edge of India…