Arriving at Chiangmai around 9p.m. was very glad to be off the train and grab a tuk-tuk (apparently they are named such for the sound the 2stroke makes) to get to my accommodation and crash as it has been quite a heavy few days preparing to get here and the actual travelling. Upon rising in the morning bump into the guy next door Tony who is from Bunbury and has friends in common, also knows my mate Simon who i have come to Chiangmai to catchup with, proving it is a small world. It's really laid back here and very easy to get around, although we are in the mountains Chiangmai and surrounding areas are fairly flat so mountain bikes are the go, motor bikes are a Little scary for an old boy and during the next few days visit all corners of the old walled city and range out into the countryside doing some 30 odd km trips. There is an incredible abundance of Watts and Chedi's (stupas) almost one on every corner, markets of all descriptions seem to be happening nearly every day and night, culminating with the huge Sunday market, starting around 4p.m. til 11p.m. and stretching for around a kilometer. It attracts a huge amount of both locals and westerners, in fact thousands as it takes roughly 3 odd hours too just get up one side, and it is really amazing with all those people there is not one incident of agro, i guess us westerners have a few lessons to learn!
KOPAN MONASTERY.... ah! beautiful Kopan, situated on Kopan hill around 30 minutes from Kathmandu, with spectacular views of the surrounding country side and overlooking Bhouda with the Bhoudanath Stupa towering above the sprawling metropolis. I arrive at Losar(Tibetan new year) and the place is relaxed but abuzz with the news of Lama Zopa Rinpoche's arrival, it's great to be part of the excitement and a great thrill that he will be in residence during my stay. Very cold nights are followed by beautiful clear days, spending the peaceful hours doing Kora around the Stupa which is set in beautiful grounds where there is a huge array of bird life, Dharma discussion and meditation led by Ani Karin in the small Ghompa into the afternoon, the rest of the day spent mixing with the monks, some of whom have become dear friends. Being part of a teaching, initiations and a Guru Puja by Lama Zopa which filled the large Ghompa to the brim with monks and nuns was an incredible spectacle and experience, one that won't be easily forgotten. Nothing prepared me for the warmth and approachability of Kopan's Abbott Khenrinpoche Lama Lhundrup with whom i had several chats in and around the grounds, received a teaching and culminated in a private audience, Kopan is certainly blessed to ganj, so i leave for an overnighter in Kathmandu before an early morning flight to Delhi.
BACK IN MAGICAL NEPAL
It feels great touching down again in Kathmandu, the flight was easy and it's about 1p.m., i am still dressed in Thai mode and at first glance at the Nepali's on the ground suggests that i have not suitably dressed as they are in ski jackets and beanies. It's good to be back and going through the motions at the airport is incredibly easy, out into the throng to find my lift into my accommodation which is in the heart of Thamel. I notice that things have changed quite a bit since October 07, the number of tourists are down, Nepal is in the grip of power cut outs which happen for up to 8 hours a day and there is a huge petrol shortage. Also to add to the Nepali's woes they are coming up to the elections where they will become a democracy, the Maoists are causing a lot of disruptions as well, all in all the local Nepali's are the ones suffering with rising food prices and in general the cost of living rising. The next day it's off to the Indian embassy to try to obtain a visa, arriving at 10.30a.m. standing in line until 3p.m. and just being able to apply it was a very long day, along with the other 50 odd crew who were doing the same thing. It will be back to the embassy in 3 days to get the visa if application is successful, the good side is that i have met a couple of mad Irish guys who have been living in India for 6 months and are doing a visa run, we walk back in to Thamel and go for a meal and a lot of laughs. The guest house that i am staying with has an outside eatery and the next day i meet a group of Aussies, English and Canadians who live and work in Hong Kong and support a local orphanage around 50 minutes out of Kathmandu. The money they put in goes directly to the orphanage with no middle creaming of funds and i am invited to go out with them for a day to visit and see the kids of which there are 52, varying in age from 6 through to 17, made up of 18 boys and 34 girls. The following day the Hong Kong group take me to the Buddhist Monkey temple which is in the foothills surrounding Kathmandu, it is very old and the views of Kathmandu and the surrounds are spectacular, there were very few monkeys and heaps of those dam tourists. It was then onto the orphanage which is set in a magnificent valley surrounded by verdant terraced rice fields, towering lush mountains with a view of the Ganesh mountains which are heavily covered in snow. The kids are absolutely wonderful and to see their reaction to our group is absolutely inspiring, smiles and laughter abound, they all speak a reasonable amount of English and we take off for a stroll through a small village and up the mountain side, upon our return we literally buy out a small local store of drinks and goodies for the kids which provided a great treat for them and gives us great joy in giving. We stay for the whole day engaging in lots of activities, for myself i made up the numbers in a basketball side and we had a great spirited match with the kids giving no quarter, heaps of laughs and one totally stuffed old boy at the finish as running around at altitude is very taxing.( truthfully I'm probably not all that fit!) All in all it was a wonderfully fulfilling day and i will certainly return to see the kids when i get back to Kathmandu in May. The next day it's back to the Indian embassy Visa lottery, we are there at 10.30a.m. stand in line with the multitudes again, finally returning successfully with visa to Thamel at around 7p.m. it's been a long day, i say goodbye to my mad Irish mates, hopefully will catch up with them in India. Upon returning to my accommodation i dine with the Hong Kong group to say goodbye, they have been absolutely wonderful to be associated with and are really lovely warm human beings, as first thing in the morning I'm off to the Kopan monastery which i am very excited about.
INDIA... early arrival at Kathmandu airport only to find the flight to Delhi is 3 hours behind due to the fog surrounding the valley, i am very grateful again for Janie's wonderful gesture of an upgrade to business class as i spent the duration totally comfortable in the executive lounge, even though i did not look much like the rest of the crew in the lounge, it was a very cruisey and relaxed wait. Finally we were to board and i was surprised at the last minute bag checks and security at the base of the steps to the aircraft, a little unusual for the usual rather random security normally accorded here. The 2 hour flight was very relaxed and spacious, pleasant and uneventful, arriving at Delhi during the afternoon was great as there were no other flights at the time, making it very easy to get through the formalities and did not live up to it's reputation of total chaos. Off in a prepayed taxi to accommodation, en route dropping into a travel agent to purchase a ticket by bus to Mcleods ganj, i had been warned that Indians in general know every scam, i found out later the next day that the bus which was new and cost me extra, was in fact old and dilapidated, my seat ticket had been sold 2 or 3 times over and the journey in an already full bus would take 16 hours. This was not going to happen so i hotfooted it to a government tourist office where they confirmed that i had been scammed, there i tried to book another government sanctioned bus to my destination, but because of the demand they were booked solid for 3 days and having to be at my next destination by the 20th i elected to grab a tourist car and driver to do the job. This option cost more but it was the start of a very interesting journey which started at around 5p.m. and culminated at the front gate of the Tushita Buddhist centre in Dharamkot at 5a.m the next morning, where i am staying for the duration of H.H. the Dalai Lama's spring teachings. The journey kicked off in Delhi and took 2 hours just to get out of the incredible traffic jams and out into the surrounding countryside, my driver was a nice bloke, spoke a little English which was handy, it wasn't long before the countryside disappeared into darkness as we traversed states through numerous toll sites and tax points as we entered the Punjab, finally stopping at a roadside eatery for some food at around 9.30p.m. We sat down to eat but were immediately invited to join 2 wealthy students from the college up the road who wanted to practice English and satisfy their curiosity with the strange traveller in their midst, it was an incredible banquet which when finished was paid for by our hosts, really amazing hospitality. Back on the road and a couple of hours later my driver admitted that even though we were headed in the right direction we were a little lost, so stopping at an intersection in a small town he jumps out to ask a guy standing at a bus stop some directions, who turns out to be an off duty Punjabi policeman and is travelling in the same direction, so jumps in the back and off we go again. He is a great guy and my driver is relieved to have some descent conversation in his lingo, we make many chai stops at little roadside places and are amazed to discover that the police get discounts on food and drink which is a source of mirth and of course quite cheap. We drop him of in Kulli at around 3a.m. then proceed to Dharamsala then onto the final destination arriving very tired but safely, my driver has done a great job and it has turned out to be a really interesting and fun adventure.
DHARAMKOT AND MCLEODS GANJ... Arriving so early at Tushita i met Lotan the striking Tibetan night watchman and kipped out on a bench in the mess hall for a couple of hours until the place got into gear, surprised as i was woken by Tilli a monk from Kopan who had arrived a couple of days earlier. We had breakfast, left my gear in the mess hall and went on down to Mcleods ganj which is around a kilometer by foot down the mountain to register for the teachings as security is fairly tight, once done after quite a queue up, Tilli led me to a great vegy cafe for lunch, it's pretty awesome having a guide who speaks many languages and has been coming here for the teachings the last 8 years. After a great meal he leads me off to see the scenery surrounding the town which is absolutely breathtaking, huge densely aforrested mountains with himalayan fir, pines and snow capped peaks jutting majestically above, the town hugging the slopes it is visually stunning. We wander down the narrow streets which are packed with shops plying their wares and out of town around 2 kilometers to a beautiful waterfall, where we sit on huge water smoothed boulders listening to the sound of rushing water and having a very tranquil meditation session.After the incredible hike back up to Tushita, which is something i will have to get used to as it will be a daily occurrence, i book into my room, have dinner and completely crash as it has been a long 48 hours. Finally some sleep and this morning it is the start of the spring teachings at Namgyal monastery main temple, Tilli and i walk down early as it will be crowded, it amazes me that everybody is pushing, shoving and jostling for a prime position as i thought we were here to hear the teachings and does not really matter if one is not afforded a completely unobstructed view of the Dalai Lama. The security is incredible with bag searches, body frisks, no mobile phones, cameras etc, and the heavily armed guards surrounding His Holiness make one very aware that it's not australia. Once in the main teaching area which is set aside for westerners one goes to where you have put your name and stuck it to the floor to designate position, and finds that someone has removed it and has occupied the space, i found this not very cool and what i would consider very un -buddhist. Going with the flow i find a new space which i will have for the duration of the teachings and it's a real united nations around me, all of whom are really nice crew of all ages. The weather is great and one gets to the teachings at 7.30a.m. leaves at 3p.m. then rushes back to Tushita as a separate program of teachings, puja's and oral transmission are taking place around the teaching schedule. Lama Zopa is in residence at Tushita along with approximately 40 monks and nuns from all over the place, and his clock does not work like normal and some special things take place at all times of the day and night, it's wonderful to be a part of a community of the Sangha again, great discussions, lots of laughs and in general just to hang out with. As the teachings progress it's great to see that the initial intolerance for fellow beings begins to abate and there is a general warmth and friendliness develop, with everybody sharing food, drink and generally caring more for each other, wonderful to see H.H. the Dalai Lama's simple messages filtering through. The teachings finish but the schedule at Tushita continues, unfortunately i have to leave my idealic accomodation as do most of the Sangha as there is a residential course happening and Tushita need the rooms, so i find a room in town and will continue to engage in Tushita's programme while Lama Zopa is there for a couple of days then depart for Amaritsar near the border of Pakistan, flowing down through Rajahstan.It's to and fro Tushita for a couple of days with several things happening day and night, and after one nightly session i was warned to be careful walking down as a Leoperd was seen within the grounds the previous night and may still be roaming around, would be really cool to see one but not alone at night. Apparently when the snow is heavy in the mountains they come down and sort out the towns dog problem, which is great as there are just too many canines about, as there are also heaps of monkeys everywhere one would have thought they would be the prime prey but i guess the dogs are easier. Last night was Lama Zopa's final teaching and he was in fine form, finishing around 11.30p.m., amidst a huge electrical and thunderstorm, which despite wonderful clear days seem to appear from nowhere, so i guess my time is up here in Mcleods ganj and very near to hitting the road. It is amazing how quickly things change on the road as i have been approached by nun Ani Wy who is currently staying in Tushita to come back up the hill and volunteer to help them out at the moment as they have 2 courses about to start. So i move in again, my duties are many and varied, but the highlight has been working with a group of Tibetan monks from the Gyume Tantric monastery disassembling the large Lama Tsong Karpha statue which is the centre piece of the new Gompa and filling it with 100's of mantras, texts and other items so as it can be sealed and consecrated. The statue itself is approximately 3 meters tall x 3 meters across the base and is made from caste brass, it comes in several pieces which are individually extremely heavy, even more so when filled. It has been a great experience and honour to be part of this process, the monks themselves are a wonderful bunch to work with, the language barrier does not seem to be a problem even in some fiddly moments during re-assembling, there were many laughs and heaps of practical jokes. Upon completion of this project the monks have returned to their monastery down south, they stay up here for 12 months then are replaced by another group, who seem equally as nice. Around all this there has been the continued agression by China on the Tibetans, which is affecting the community here greatly as most have family back home in Tibet, the local Tibetan businesses have closed in protest, there is a continuing hunger strike outside the entrance to the Namgyal monastery and everyday there are more and more protest marches which understandibly so are becoming very frustrated and vocal. The world media is in town which we hope through exposure will in some way help create opposition across the globe to halt this senseless violence and abismal lack of human rights being perpetrated upon the beautiful Tibetans. As westerners we have been warned not to publicly participate or speak out against China as the Indian police will revoke visas and then deportation will follow, an elderly Korean couple who tried to join the hunger strike were duly warned. It has become very hard to maintain a compassionate attitude towards China, especially knowing many locals and seeing what effect it is having upon them, communication has been shut down with Tibet and only spasmodic reports are filtering through, which adds to the frustration. Today is my last here and i stand in the main square with many nationalities watching the latest protest march and candle vigil as they surge up Temple road, estimates of around a 1000 locals , monks and nuns totally filling every available space chanting the slogan "free Tibet", there is no way that one can contain the emmotions as so many of us are openly weeping, our hearts are filled with immense saddness at this latest round of atroscities committed by China. From what i hear China has closed the border and it could be difficult to enter Tibet in May, hopefully this situation will be resolved promptly for the Tibetans, it's just a wait and see.
AMRITSAR BOUND It is 4.30a.m. in the main square of Mcleod ghanj as i place my backpack in the trunk of a taxi driver who is off to Phathankot for an early morning pickup, it is company for him and a pittance of a fare for me, it is quite cool and very quiet, a world away from yesterdays protests, the sights, sounds and emmotions will always fill my heart. We gradually descend from the beautiful mountains onto the plains where there is heaps more traffic, loads of flat farmland as the Punjab is the prime agriculture area, my driver is cool and it's great having a commentary on the surroundings and local traditions. Into Phathankot bus station early and finally find the bus to Amritsar, it is just departing so hop on, these busses certainly live up to their reputation as it filled to the gunnels with people sitting on top of each other, i'm very lucky as i must appear a little different and the locals a little unsure allow me a whole seat for myself and pack-cool! I dosed for awhile and i'm not sure where exactly we were but i was signalled to change busses, obviously not a direct service as had been suggested, and we were off again. This new bus was also packed but every body was extremely friendly as i was the only westerner amongst them, once again getting a great seat up front with the driver, in one way it was great , the other i could see impending doom at very first hand as they drive these things like a formula 1 race car. We arrived safely in Amritsar at around 11a.m, i pick accomodation from the trusty lonely planet book, grab a tuk-tuk and luckily find a room as it is apparently a religious holiday here, then just crash for a couple of hours -wow! The rest was much needed, much refreshed i took off up the street to the government tourist office where i booked a bus to Bikaner in Rajahstan, a 12 hour journey but a great staging spot to catch a direct bus on to Jaiselmer on the evening of the 22nd. Outside of the hotel is absolute chaos, cars, tuk tuks, horse drawn carts, pigs, much dust and over a million in population, which has possibly increased heaps with the influx of pilgrim families here to celebrate. It is an incredibly diverse celebration, the Seikhs at the Golden Temple which is a truly awesome complex, there are thousands walking around and paying homage and everybody is very peaceful, respectful and friendly offering commentary and generally just wanting to meet and speak to a westerner. I have never seen so many beards of varying color, size and shape, and it was great fun comparing with many of the Seikhs, who have a wonderful sense of humor, they felt the only thing missing from my side was head hair and a turban. The Hindus are also celebrating the color festival with everybody covered in rainbow colored powders, people every where just covering passing traffic, pedestrians, basically anything that moved and being a westerner of which there are very few one sticks out like the preverbial and no matter how much i tried to avoid it i returned to my digs a total rainbow. Even though they get a little carried away and the colored powder does tend to sting the eyes somewhat there was a great deal of laughter, good spirits and after a long shower back to normal coloration. The other main lure here is the amazingly colorfull and orchastrated spectacle at the Pakastani border crossing gate closing ceremony which is only 30 kilometers away and takes place at around 5.30p.m. daily. I organised a driver and arrived at around 4.30p.m. glad i was no later as around 7000 were there to view the event, equal amounts on either side of the border stacked into grandstands, i was amazed to see so many, once again you could count the westerners on one hand and the bulk were Indian and Pakastani Tourists. The border guards from both sides were very imposing figures in incredibly ornate uniforms who were really pumped up and marched up to each other at the gate huffing and puffing, a real male testosterone event, which raised huge patriotic approval from each side at every confrontation, mexican waves and national anthems ensued. It was great to be part of this event with much mirth and just the sheer colors of the huge crowd, all this culminated in the actual closing of the gates and the taking down of the respective countries flags, then absolute bedlam as everybody tries to depart at the same time. Returning early evening it was back to the Golden Temple to check it's beauty under lights, in the cool of the night, still 1000's of people paying homage and wonderful to see the same amount of peace and friendlyness, walking the huge expanses of marbled terraces, chatting and laughing was extremely peaceful and relaxing. The day has been rather long so it's back to crash as tommorrow evening the journey to Bikaner in Rajahstan begins, from where it's on to Jaiselmer in the great indian dessert, home of the famous dessert forts, camels and the extremes of color.
BIKANER the journey takes off again at 8.30p.m. when i trek into town to meet up with the boss of the bus company, surprisingly he is at the arranged spot and i jump on to the back of his motor bike, backpack and all then off to meet his bus. I hang on for dear life with so much rear weight as he weaves in and out of the night traffic and we finally make it to the bus, into a sleeper berth and prepare for the 12 hour journey. The passenger list is all locals apart from 2 western couples and Alex from the Isle of Man, everybody set and we are off, the roads are shockers, the driver is pretty good, pit stops every 3 hours and onward into the night. I manage to doze occassionaly, when finally opening my eyes early morning to the sight of a huge red sun rising above a very barren landscape, much like Oz scrubby sized bushes, stunted trees, fairly flat terrain and bundis. There the similarity ended with turbaned dessert rigged goat herders tending their flocks, the odd camel wandering about and small mud brick dwellings at random intervals, with the occassional sand dune in the background, we had certainly entered the Thar dessert. The terrain does not change as we arrive in Bikaner at around 11a.m., it is as the lonely planet describes, a dirty, dusty dessert outpost with a smelly open sewerage system, never-the-less find a nice clean place to stay, once a large family home turned guest house run by a really lovely elderly couple. Alex and i have hooked up for the leg to Jaiselmer so we go down to the train station and book a ticket in a sleeper berth for the 7 hour journey, then go to see a beautiful sandstone fort and are totally blown away by the $100 aust. they want to enter, decided this was not going to happen, so grabbed a bus and commenced a 30 kilometer trip out to the towns other listed attraction. This being the Karni Matta temple or in plain terms the temple of rats, where the locals and pilgrims alike consider these vermin sacred, they actively encourage them to run across their feet which is good luck, we actually endeavoured to get out without any contact and considered this to be extremely lucky, it was revolting. It was then back into town and the local eateries were great, indian food in india is awesome and along with the couple who run the guest house was Bikaner's saving grace.
JAISELMER Once again another early start, down to the train station at 6a.m. board the sleeper carriage, it looks as if it's not going to be crowded so settle down for kick off, eventually we realise that it will not happen as planned and is delayed for 2 hours. We meet some local guys who are going part of the way and wile away the delay with much conversation and heaps of laughter, i've found that Indians especially away from the cities are very laid back and have great senses of humour, with english widely spoken in enough fluency to get by. Finally we are away and have the entire sleeper section to stretch out, spending the time watching the barren terrain, napping or just plain cruising out, waving to locals at the odd train station as we are the only westerners on board and inspire as much curiosity as the locals do for us. One is reminded of where one is located occassionally as you see a column of indian army tanks with their retinue of support vechicles snaking across the dessert, the Pakistani border is only a 100 k's away and the relationship is still rather tense. After what seemed an eternity we arrive in Jaiselmer, hit by the hotel touts, see several dives and finally find great accomadation in beautiful sandstone place, which is called a Havelli here, run by a family who are really great, nothing is a problem. There is a really relaxed feel to the place instantanously, visually quite amazing , surrounded by flat dessert terrain a three sided hill rises magestically, atop sits a huge imposing sandstone fort built in the 1100's and spread out around it's footings is Jaiselmer. Inside the fort approximately 4000 locals live and work as it is a warren of narrow alleyways filled with traders plying their wares, sandstone stairways snaking up into the ramparts, Jain temples that have amazingly beautiful carved entrances and all manner of dwellings from the normal through to the wealthier Maharajah's. The days for me are spent wandering the fort, finding new alleyways, sitting and taking Chai with a lot of the traders who i have become friendly, many laughs are had as the sense of humour here is great with many jibes involving whose country is the best cricketing nation, naturally i try to explain that Oz is! They have also persuaded me to get into the swing of the local dress, and now i'm sporting a Rajahstani wrapped turban which compliments the dessert attire, giving the locals a great deal of mirth. The nights sitting atop the main Havelli in which i am staying soaking up the beautiful temperate dessert nights, eating wonderful Indian cuisine and generally cruising into the very relaxed atmosphere the friendly and hospitable family who own the Havelli provide. Alex the guy i travelled here with has seemed to have disappeared he must have found accompanying an old austere wandering Buddhist a little mundane and i believe he has left for Udapuir, it won't be long before i will move on and my next destination will be Mt Abu the highest point in Rajahstan. I am incredibly lucky as i have been invited by the owner of the havelli that i am staying in to go to his family home and dine with them, his wife of 14 years and his young children all make me feel very welcome with a truly awesome traditional meal being served. The temperature is rising daily becoming quite warm, around the high 30's, sometimes being an Aussie is helpful as i don't find it too much of a problem, but i notice others are struggling especially the Europeans, anyway tomorrow is the day i move on to Mt. Abu which is a much higher elevation and i believe a more temperate climate.
Mt. Abu the morning is at an easy pace, packing and getting organised, at 2.30 p.m. boarding one of two busses on a 15 hour journey that will eventually convey me to my destination. The first leg in day light to Jodphur gives rise to some magnificent dessert scenery, small villiages, lonely herders dwellings, flat stoney ground giving way to some large vegetated sand dunes, which is the terrain that is predominately Rajahstan. Many animals dot the landscape, herds of goats, heaps of brahmin cattle, the odd camel and surprisingly anywhere there is a little vegetation many peacocks/peahens abounding. Passing through small towns with the locals sitting in any available shade, generally just chatting, drinking chai or just taking it very slowly in the heat of the day as these dessert dwellers i've noticed do not waste energy in these harsh conditions. We drive on into the evening finally arriving in Jodphur at 8.30p.m., it is total hustle and bustle as one would expect of a large indian city and i am deposited at the bus station to await my next ride which departs in around an hours time +/- 30 minutes, the time is spent drinking chai and trying to communicate with the locals. Finally boarding, realise there are not many fellow travellers and upgrade to a double berth, heaps more room to stretch out and relax as the journey continues on the bone jarring roads which make sleeping a rare commodity, arriving at our destination around 5.30 a.m. After a couple of tries find some accommodation which overlooks the huge lake that the township is nestled around, it is an amazing place situated on a plateau at around 1200 meters making it the highest elevation in Rajahstan also giving it a very temperate climate, creating conditions for an incredible array of flora, palms, mangoes, bouganvillias, hybiscus and strangely bottlebrushes and eucalpypts. With all this beautiful flora comes an abundant and varied range of exotic bird life, black faced long tailed monkeys and the cheeky little squirrels which seem to be everywhere all of which fit in to this extremely laid back location. The place itself seems to be a destination for locals to holiday which is great as the number of westerners is minimal, time spent wandering the markets, bantering with the locals, marvelling at the huge water worn boulders that dominate the surrounding hills and jut out of the walls and footings of the buildings and dwellings. Taking in the local parks, sitting under the shade of trees on lush lawn, indulging in some great meditation, jumping into a local jeep and taking off into the country side through small villiages, visiting intricately carved marble Jain temples, to arrive at the highest peak of 1700 meters where the views out over the plains of Rajahstan are stunning, all making this a very relaxed interlude.
UDAIPUR Time has come to move on from Mt. Abu and proceed on the next leg to Udaipur, the bus leaves an hour late, what is to be a 5 hour trip takes 7 , the scenery enroute is amazing and there is no point in being stressed as this is India, arriving at my destination late arvo. The lonely planet comes through yet again and i strike it lucky for accommodation first try, a great place with a rooftop eatery over looking lake Pichola which is the centre piece of Udaipur and is the location of the floating palace, also providing a home for the many waterbirds which abound. It's out and about mingling with the locals, there is a profusion of narrow lanes made up of dwellings, eager traders, auto rickshaws, motor bikes and many sacred cows all vying for right of way with the pedestrian throng, with one eye on the traffic and the other on the huge cow pats dotting the street. As usual the locals are very friendly and accomodating supplying heaps of info on the direction one should take when a wrong turn is made of which there are many, i find a travel agent to book the on going journey and find as it is the Goa express to take which is extremely popular i have to arrange it for tomorrow night to make the other connections, so regrettfully it will only be a short stop in Udaipur. The next day is spent taking in many of the spectacular sights on offer, the city palace which was built by a succession of Maharajas, it's granduer even in todays modern world is amazing, perched overlooking lake Pichola the architecture is incredible, albiet very practicle, as with most places in India the roof space is always utilised, this palace is no different with fruit trees a huge pool/fountain, many alcoves and areas to sit, something that would be most practicle in Oz considering our climate. I took in many other sights equally awesome, returning to organise myself for the next leg of the journey which begins at 10 p.m. with a 7 hour bus trip to Ahemabad.
JALGAON The bus trip was not pleasant, even though i had a single sleeper i was not allowed to put my backpack etc,. in the luggage bay as there was too much cargo and had to include it in my coffin size sleeper, needless to say there was not a great deal of room and sleep was a fruitless exercise. Arriving in bustling Ahemabad at around 4.30a.m. and down to the rail station to board the Chenni express which is really crowded, manage to grab a couple of hours sleep, awaking to scenery made up by huge rivers, rolling hills with dense foilage, the flats comprising fertile black soil dotted with maize and bannana plantations everywhere. The train is an express and it is amazingly scary how fast it rattles along making photography extremely difficult from the windows, time is spent satisfying the locals curiosity of the strange westerner in their midst, lots of laughs and many cricket jokes, finally arriving at my destination of Jalgaon, the staging spot for the Ajanta Buddhist caves. Early arrisal the next morning, down to the local bus station for the 60 km. trip out to Ajanta junction, where one catches another bus to the cave site, 26 magnificent cave/temples situated on a horse shoe bend of the Waghore river, carved out of solid rock during the 1st and 2nd century A.D.. The ancient artisans must have been incredible as all these temples were carved from the top down therefore needing no support during construction, all comprising amazingly ornately carved pillars, walls, huge figures of Buddha, disappearing fresco paintings upon the ceilings and a marvelous underground water storage system feeding all the caves. I am really lucky being early as a huge number of local tourists are arriving and i am a few caves ahead, my guide is very respectfull and allows me heaps of time in each to wander take pictures and just be, one cave in particular invokes a overwhelming outpouring of emmotion giving rise to the thought that a vast amount of energy is still present. After a long hot day i return to dusty Jalgaon, with the crowded streets filled with locals just walking around, find a great place to eat and prepare once again to hit the road early the following morning as there is not much else to do in this location.
HAMPI This next leg is a large hop southward designed to miss Mumbai and the Goa scene, a little diverse in direction but kicks off at 5 a.m. at the Jalgaon rail station catching the train to Bhusaval where i pick up the Goa express. Boarding at 7.30 a.m. it is totally packed out, the system here is even if you have booked a seat someone else could possibly occupy it and dislodging them is like an international incident, it has happened this time but luckily find myself taken in by a group of great local guys travelling together and we alteratively rotate between the seats and bunk to brake up the trip. The scenery is once again main stream agriculture with a myriad of irrigation channels, obviously no water problems, the same rich black soil, home to sweetcorn, bannanas, cotton, but this time backed by huge flat topped rocky messa formations. All is proceeding fine until around 5.30 p.m. when a new conductor does his rounds informing me that the train is split at Belgaum with one section going to Goa the other onwards to Hubli, needless to say i am on the wrong end and are promptly moved 5 carriages with no chance of a sleepr berth or seat ending up on a couple of packing crates at the end of a carriage. I guess always travelling 2nd class sleeper to experience travelling with the locals this is to be expected, one is never alone as there are always questions being directed towards you, or conversely a group of local guys would gather and just stare, as we belted on into the night i found the absolute lack of space incredibly difficult to sleep in, but around 3a.m. a nice Indian lad i had been conversing with informs me he has had enough sleep and offers me his bunk for the last 3 hours which i gratefully accept. Awaking as we pull into Hubli i get myself together and alight into the maddness on the platform, find the ticket office and board a local sit up train to Hospet only 30 km's from Hampi, the 3 hour jaunt goes quickly arriving finally at my destination, eagerly grabbing an auto rickshaw for the 30km. road trip to the Hampi river crossing, boarding a small craft for the crossing and completing a 1 km. walk to the place i have chosen for accomodation, arriving a little frayed early arvo. Totally lucky as it is an absolute paradise, individual circular bungalows with thatched rooves, semi private verandahs with a suspended bed outside, set in lush tropical gardens boarded by a rice paddy and with the magnificent backdrop of the amazing boulder strewn landscape, all this for 350 rup. ($10 Oz)/ night and they have a room, cool! On site there is also 3 separate locations to partake of the beautiful cheap food that is available, i am totally grateful to just chill out as it has been quite a long journey over the last few days, so the next day i get into Hampi mode and do absolutely nothing, hooking up with Corey a Canadian guy who came for 2 days and has been here for 2 weeks, it seems to be like that here. After recharging the batteries overnight i decide to hire a small 100cc constant geared motorbike which is the go here as there is very minimal traffic, take off into the surrounding countryside visiting a few of the Hindu temples, as this area apart from the incredible boulders was the scene of a huge early Hindu dynasty, then just take off down some country roads passing through several villiages, taking in the rich colors of the scenery and the amazing birdlife which is abundant, ending up at the huge elevated dam overlooking this alien landscape. It has been a very relaxing 5 hours the only downside is that i have been rather wind burnt, luckily still wearing my turban which does a great job of protecting the old head, a continues to give the locals a great deal of mirth and confusion. The days here are totally non stressed, the place is aptly named "horizontal Hampi" and one day melts into another, my 2 day break turns into 5 with Kaare (corey) and i spending time with a couple from Alaska, another from London who are all rather talented youngsters and are treated to nightly jam seasons of Sitar, Violin and Jembay drum, a very interesting combination but none-the-less great to hear live. This young group are great to be around as they are a rarity here with the non smoking, drinking etc., and on my last morning we all walk into town take the boat across the river and have a farewell lunch, from where i grab an auto rickshaw and hotfoot it to Hospet and board a waiting train to Asikere on my journey southward to Mysore.
KUSHALNAGAR & SERA JHE MONASTERY This trip to Asikere was an amazing eye opener on how to stack a rail carriage Indian style, locals sitting on each other, sleeping on the floor, luggage racks in fact in any space available. Luckily i had a seat which for obvious reasons one never vacates, so from 2p.m. until it arrived in Asikere at 3a.m. where the change over to a new train happened it was a sit up no sleep deal, but in general the local families are very friendly, interested and generous to this strange westerner in their midst. It was on to the next rail disaster, even more packed if possible and the 4 hour leg to Mysore was spent using my backpack as a seat cum bunk on the floor at the end of the carriage, it seems the formula for how many passengers, is the safe limit multiplied by 2 or 3 times. Through the early morning mayhem at Mysore station, off to the bus depot and board the local government bus for a 2 hour journey to Kushalnagar, arriving late morning find accomodation get organised an grab transport 8km's out to Sera Jhe, passing through what appears to be very fertile land, bannana plantations, sugar cane, coconut palms and heaps of vegetable crops. Finally arriving at my destination i find it hard to believe how large the monastery is, housing 5000 monks it sprawls over the countryside, i find myself wandering through the main Gompa which is huge and some of the debating areas, realising then that finding the monks in question was not going to be as easy as i first thought. Decided finding the western monks(inji) i have met will probably be a lot easier and a more reasonable target first up, this proves to be beneficial as i strike it lucky after many directions from the awesomely helpful Tibetans and locate Chogni an American monk i met in Mcleods ganj. Late afternoon with his help, after much questioning and heaps of area covered we locate 2 of the 4 monks and will catch up with them in the morning, also getting a couple of good leeds on the other 2, so tomorrow will be a big day. Its out to Sera Jhe first thing in the morning and we begin searching, it is not long before we locate Lozang and within minutes the word has gone out and Rigsen turns up, a wonderful meeting, heaps of laughs, questions and in general a great time, resulting in an invitation to have lunch prepared by the boys the following day. Geshe Phunstock is proving difficult to locate, but will try again tomorrow and the 3rd monk i sponsor left a week ago for Varanassi to study sanscrit at the university there. The lunch the following day was great and when time to leave came about i was a little sad, bidding the boys goodbye i raced over to where the western monks live caught up with several others i have met on my journey, saying farewell to Chogni and sadly concluding 4 wondeful days at Sera return to Kushalnagar to pack and prepare for the road trip to bangalore the following morning. It's an early start the first bus is uncrowded which is a relief, passing a very rich countryside full of date palms, sugar cane and all types of vege's, half way through the journey there is a change of vehicle for the continuance to Bangalore but this one is totally packed, completely normal! Bangalore is touted as the most cosmopolitan city of India, silicon valley etc., but upon arrival mid arvo to see much squalor, many totally littered waterways and an incredible amount of traffic, because this city is a little more economically sound there are more cars rather than the usual motorbikes.Grabbing an auto rickshaw i navigate many traffic snarls find some digs for the night and chill out, repeat the same process in the morning to the airport only twice the distance and join the throng at the domestic terminal to await my flight which is an 1 hour late. I am not sorry to leave this dissappointing city, the flight is easy and arrive in the awesome capital Delhi early arvo, as this is the 3rd time into this incredibly huge city i am completely prepared for the usual scams, red herrings etc., grab a pre paid taxi and head for the famous Phar ganj area lobbing at a hotel situated right on the main bazaar road.
DELHI - phar ganj Dropping my gear off into the usual quality of this priced Indian room i venture out into the amazing maddness of the main bazaar, a kilometre or so of every conceivable vendor, tout, beggar, drug supplier and con artist, the noise, smells and colors are truly incredible. I find no problems handling these conditions now as it is what one has to get used to travelling India, the next day is spent the same way exploring the alleyways that cross the many busy streets, later that night i head for the international airport to meet Murray who is flying in from Bangkok, he arrives at the same time as 8 other flights, needless to say it was absolute bedlam and a very long wait. If the airport was an eye opener for the new arrival grabbing a pre paid cab, an old Ambassador, much like old Austins and joining the millions of vehicles out at this time of night all honking their horns and jostling for positions to get to the desired destination was a little nerve wracking to say the least. We spent a couple more days in Phar ganj giving him time to adjust to life in India, bartering and joking with the local vendors all of which can be quite an assault on the senses, booking rail tickets for the next stage of the journey and being subject to several scams to turn us away from the Government rail booking office and to a private agent, all of which fell on deaf ears, so it's to Agra and the mighty Taj Mahal.
AGRA We were booked into the normal sleeper class, very lucky to get designated upper bunks which allows one to escape the general maddness aboard Indian rail, departing at around 10a.m. is quite a civilised departure time, but still the amazing throng of locals inhabitating the platforms, sitting, sleeping standing all vying for space on the train, the scenery is very flat, mainly agricultural and we arrive late arvo, after a few frustrating tries for digs we finally jag a great place with an incredible view of the majestic Taj from their cruisey rooftop cafe. Chilling out in this location watching the sunset and its effect on the imposing Taj we meet up with an english guy, Davo, who is on a long journey to Antartica by whatever route it takes to acomplish without any flights, a very interesting character, one we hook up with immediately. The next morning it's off to the famous Agra fort, exploring the many levels, imagining what it would have been like in those times, as there are heaps of Indian tourists all doing the same thing we had lots of interaction and many laughs. It is fairly hot here at the moment so Murray, Davo and i set off for the Taj late arvo, it is a little unbalanced with the entry fees, westerners pay 750 rup. and the locals 50 rup, very hard to equate as the locals have no respect for rules, the enviroment and in general just walk or go anywhere they feel, i guess we have been brought up to obey general signs. The building itself is an incredible feat of engineering, awe-inspiring, grand, the marble walls all inlayed with different colored stone in very intracate designs, but i found that it seemed to lack life, comparing it with the Golden Temple which had much energy and spirituality, i guess in reality it is a mausoleum! Agra is a huge tourist mecca so departing onwards towards the famed spiritual capital of India, Varanasi, will be a pleasure in the late evening, with Davo joining us for this leg of the journey.
VARANASI We were unable to get a berth in the usual sleeper section for the overnight trip and ended up in the a/c sleeper section, this was my first time out of general class and was a little luxury, far more civilised without the pushing , shoving and vying for a berth. Unfortunately as is a night trip the only scenery was the inside of my eyelids, have learned to sleep anywhere, something positive one gains from being around Indians, the journey was via Lucknow arriving at our destination mid arvo, once more scouting around for digs as the place even in off season is packed. Davo was departing late that night for the Nepalese border so he dumped his gear in my room and we walked a short distance down to the Ghats which are on the mighty Ganga, here seems to be the centre of life, washing clothes, bathing, fishing and boating in water i would not let stock drink from! Early evening we shared a boat and were rowed up and down the Ganga, passing the various Ghats observing life, cremations in progress, approximately 1000 per day lighting up the night sky, celebrations, with Brahmin priests chanting and performing rites, families mourning, and multitudes partaking upon the Ghats, quite an incredible spectacle. Davo departs late evening, the following morning we grab a vehicle and head off to Saranath, the place where the Buddha gave his first teaching, visiting all of the monasteries and the large stupa, far more spirituality here as Varanasi has this huge undertone of "mafiosa" which is quite tangible and openly spoken of, so it is of no regret after booking a rail ticket out first thing in the morning we will continue on to Gaya, which is a stones throw to Bodhgaya and the famed Bodhi Tree.
BODHGAYA It's 5.30 a.m. quitely descending to the lobby and wake the night dude who sleeps on the floor, it's necessary so he can open the incredible fortress front doors, grab a cab and beat it to the rail station and the usual chaos, grabbing a sit up carriage for the 4 hour journey. The scenery enroute is fairly flat and uninteresting, passing through many small communities, rail sidings and towns all with the incredible amounts of litter and poluted waterways that spoil what is quite a spectacularly visual country. Finally Gaya, it is really hot, grab an auto rickshaw for the 30 minute road journey to Bodhgaya, finally settle on the Bhutanese monastery for accomadation, cheap, clean, beautiful grounds and the monks are really cool. Dump the gear, off down the street in the 45 degree heat to find the Bodhi tree, passing an incredible array of different Buddhist monasteries we finally locate the Maha Bodhi Temple and the target of our visit. It is so peaceful and much cooler under the wonderful tree which the Buddha attained enlightenment, i find the energy here to be very powerful and the ensuing meditation session amazing, after which was lucky to collect two smallish Bodhi tree leaves. In the cool morning at 5a.m. it is back to the tree for futher qualitiy meditation, awesome, after which a lovely Therivadan monk handed me a handful of the sacred leaves, i felt very blessed and extremely grateful.
