Journal of india, starting now!

Wazen

Aloha Everyone!

My dreads speak to me...
they tell me two things....

First, dont get lice, because the poverty and dirt is overwhelming..
Second, we gota keep them knotty dread locks dancing!...

After 24 hours by plane,
and 48 hours without sleep,
I wander alone into the New Delhi Airport...
Prepared with the LP and IM's good advice,
it takes only 10 minutes before almost getting ripped off!!!

First mistake: I almost changed my money for a 2.5% surcharge!
Second Mistake: I almost paid double at the wrong pre-paid taxi booth!
Stick to the LP as the official ones are listed...

Well I get my cab, and the driver wants my reciept right off the bat! I know better than to hand him over his pay BEFORE we get there, but it turns out he really needed it for the checkpoint leaving the airport.. Okay.

So there are two people in the front seat,
and we excahnge laughs and conversation for about 20 minutes of the 1 hour journey to my hotel (310rs). Suddenly he tries pulling the classic "Majnu ka tilla to far, not in Delhi", and im like "I paid for it, please take me there"...

So a few minutes later the two men in the front seat are like "we are lost, lets go to this information center".. Already I know BULL$HIT!!!!!

So I say "whatever you need to do", smile, and play the game...

At 12 am we pull into a side street that looks like something from "City Of God".. There were NO people, dirt roads, a BON FIRE in the middle of the road!!! I head two gun shots from the distance.. it could have been a backfire, and the two men assure me its "A Hindu Festival"...

They step out of the cab, im ready to throw down if they try to jack me.
He asks me to step out of the car, and leave my bag in the car.. I didnt want to, but I just wanted SLEEP. They were both out of teh car, so I figgured no big deal, they cant have the time to hop in the taxi and run away with my stuff..

I WONT enter the office.. Im keeping an eye on the Taxi.
After 10 minutes and some conversation, it appears he really was lost.
The office manager hops in the car and actually escorts the cab driver to help direct him! When we get there, we wander the back roads of Majnu Ka Tilla looking for the Guuest House..
There were No people, dark alleys, and a little sketchy.

He refused to come into the hotel. I take it was a good sign, he wasnt trying to get commision! I thank him, and try to offer him some Rupees for a tip. He kindly refuses many times, and insists that he visits me tomorow with his own car!! At precicely 9:00 AM.

I found a new friend..

The hotel didnt have my single room for 250rs. They had a double for 350rs. Great, whatever, an extra $2..... I took it anyway..

A nice man, who is another IMer who wishes to remain annonymous for some reason (but mentioned me yesterday!) was sitting in the waitign room. With long hair and a beard I didnt hesitate to talk to him...We agreed to meet for breakfast downstairs in the morning..

I found another new friend!

That night I didnt know how to work the showers,
the lights didnt work,
I took a cold shower in a dark bathroom and fell asleep.

Breakfast is served, and it was good and cheap. My "information office indian friend" shows up to greet us a little late. We talk, and my new friend and I follow the man into his car, where he takes us for a drive. After stoping at his office, and waitng around for a while, he finnaly takes us for the MAIN REASON we agreed upon.... To "keep them knotty dread locks jumping" If you know what I mean

So I finnaly get my head straight!!!! Praise Jah!

He was trying to make an honest buck, and befriend us into a deal, but there was no pressure, and he was really cool. We end up parting ways with a smile and a handshake...

I almost died five times on the Rickshaw back...
My "annonymous" friend and I are laughing the whole ride at the sheeer excitement of almost hitting everyone and everything!!!

Really, in Delhi, Road lines mean nothing, its all about the horn. Horns take precedent over road lines....3 lanes are somehow 5-6, and somehow it actually works out!! I cant get it!

This is great. We get some good lunch, and take a little walk, taking it easy for my first day. Food here is so cheap. I am eating GREAT FOOD for $1-2 a meal!! Its amazing!

After lunch some guy in an alley approaches me and asks if I wana buy some Hash... I am sketchy about it, and actually ended up getting ripped off for 50rs!!! It wasnt real, it was like, gummy bears and tar... hehehe..
Whatever, I lost a buck! HAH!

The offers for Hash and weed here are HORRIBLE. People are trying to sell me actual grass/weeds calling it marijuana! Its so pathetic, yet funny to see packaged weeds from the side of the road!..

My frist day ended wonderfully, after a brief call home for 5rs a minute, and a nice conversation with my friend, I hit the sack. That was day 1 in India!!

Day 2 is here, and im getting the hang of it. I LOVE IT HERE!
I kept with my friend most of the time, and we didnt yet see any real "tourists sites" like the Red Fort, etc...
But rather enjoyed eachothers company and indulged into the culture that was more interesting than a mere "tourist attraction"....

Walking around lost in Delhi is FUN!! We walk all over Counaught Place, eating at cool places, checking out the scene. We see only a handful of westerners.
Some homeless, legless man gets dragged down the road by his torn ratty clothes, I wonder what he did to deserve that..
Cows, Pigs, Monkeys, Goats, Dogs, MANY DOGS, homless and wandering puppies out number the people who live on the street.
The poverty is disguesting, and yet its so in your face, its amazing.

Touts and Begging are not as bad as played out.
A few here and there...
I roll up my sleeve and expose my tattooed arm.
I simple raised hand, with my tattooed arm, is a better "NO" than saying "NO" a thousand times. My tattoos are truely the intimidation that keeps them away. And also the facination that keeps people staring at you with interest.
My Pierced cheeks trip everyone out, yet a simple smile usually draws one from those who stare (everyone). People are very friendly and interested.
The true meaning of Irezume is perpetuated here in India, as it is in Japan.

Today I sit here at 6pm at an internet cafe,
with my "annonymous"(sp?) friend from IM,
and finnaly get to express my thoughts the best way I know how..
Writing!!!

I still dotn know what to do, where to go, where I am going to sleep tomorow! But I know deep in my heart that everything is cool.

To be continued.....

HowieUK

Great introduction to India Wazen!

May be you've discovered a new anti-tout repellent - a tattooed arm!

Thinks' Maybe a visit to a tattooist?

Seems like there taking the grass smoking a little too serious

Looking forward to reading more of your trip

Howie

iwanttogoback

great post wazen.
and don't worry about the nits - india might be dirty, but indians are clean.

Nick-H

Great post

Looking forward to more...

Putty

Excellent post Wazen ... can't wait to hear more

__________________
"If you can read my mind, then why must I speak?" - Bob Dylan

Wazen

A short trip into Old Delhi started with a little dissapointment today,
as the Red Fort is closed on mondays!!

Since I was in Old Delhi, a little walk around the narrow back alleys seemed like a great idea.......Oh man........
About two hours went by and I called it quits. It was a maze of chaos, for lack of a better expression...Thousands of people moving along with mopeds, shops with fuel generators out side thier store, polluting with exhaust that cant escape the narrow walkways between the buildings of Old Delhi...
I had to hold my stomach from throwing up when the exhaust fumes hit me like taking a drag off a nasty stail ciggerette made of oil...

Barginging is half the fun!!
My annonymous friend told me yesterday "Its your turn to get us a rickshaw for 50rs", when everyone wanted atleast 100rs. It wasnt easy, but it was great training for my solo adventure into Old Delhi.
We parted ways today, as he is going up north where its freezing cold!
It took quite a while to figgure out what I want to do with my 3-5 months here, though as of 6:00am tomorow, im off to Fathepur Sikri!! (sp?)....

The pollution and noise tore this hawaiian-country side boy apart. After four nights and three days in Delhi, I can really start to appreciate the Majnu Ka Tilla section of Delhi, especially the mellow Tibetian Collony, and my Wongdhen House which was nice enough to keep accomadating me day after unplanned day! One cool thing about this Hotel is that payment is based on the "honor system"... I didnt pay a dime for three nights, until I finnaly offered to make good!

The food here in great and cheap. I fell in love with the Mango Lassi's and the Vegetarian Spring Rolls. All meals are great, fullfiling, tasty and exotic...
Tibetian food is similar to Chineese, yet apparently different in its own way that you must experince your self!
I have yet to pay $2 or more for an entire meal!

Well today I down graded my room to 200rs for a double with shared bathrom and no TV. I accidentally blew up thier surge protector with the wrong voltage, and luckily, my brand spankin new IPod ($400) survived. Offering to pay for the damage, they just kept smiling and declining my offer... What nice people!

The train to Agra leaves at 7:15, about 30 minutes away from my hotel.
I needed something a little more quiet than Delhi, and it definately aint Agra, so Fathepur Sikri is my new home for 2 days. First day I will walk around the place, check out the old ruins, etc....
Second day I will head East, only 1 hour by bus, into the Rajasthan Boarder town that starts with the letter "B" (sorry guys).
After the second night in Fathepur Sikri, its an early morning trip to Agra to see the Taj Mahal, and then BOOKIT FAST by train down to Gwalior...

Seems like I will just end up winging it after all. Though I did call a guest house in Fathepur Skiri a day in advanced to make sure..(10rs at an internet phone booth, 3rs per minute). Alone with a sence of adventure, this place has a grip on my heart that piviots between excitement and uncertainty.

To be continued..

iwanttogoback

good luck, keep us posted.

how's the nits?

Sama

great post. you're writing about lots of things I felt.

love the part about your tattoos. but you're a man. think about people's reactions when they see a woman with 5 tattoos, altho one man did namaste and bow to my OM tattoo which was cool.

have fun and keep writing!

__________________
MY INDIA, 2005-2008
"Once you have felt the Indian dust, you will never be free of it." (Rumer Godden, 1975)

rangers

there are more good things outa delhi..keep discovering.

JCGerms

Hi Wazen,

thank you for letting us be with you in India adventure. I guess India is always a mystery and scare in some sort for first timers and in 10 month I will be in Delhi as well. Take care and keep us informed how you manage and where you are.

Jochen

lotus blossom

i like that, and i know exactly what you mean. happy trails to you wazen.

__________________
Not all who wander are lost

jyotirmoy

So enjoying yourself finally wazen? Where are the macademia nuts?

sadhuji

wonderful experiences you must be having - hope you are capturing the sights for posterity.

__________________
mooning over a moon journey

Wazen

Aloha Everyone!! Namaste!!

Its been almost a week since my last post, India has me trapped within all her chaos and beauty...

About $10usd got me from my hotel in Delhi to my new hotel in Fathepur Sikiri. And my new home? Hotel Ajay!

Fathepur Sikri was just what I wanted, but I had to search hard for it, and what I found was very special. Ariving around noon or so, Ajay was waiting at the bus stand to greet all the new comers to his town. Showing me a decent room for 100rs a night, it was a bargin and a half, private bathroom and hot water ina bucket.. Not to mention the roof top views of the ancient ruins and fort that towers above the town...

Time to get dirty and walk around! Touts coming from each direction surrounding the main enterance to the ruins, I quickly found a side path and went on my own little adventure! Walking behind the ruins was incredible, and without paying a single ruppe to visit only *one* out of many ruins, there was still so muc exploring to do, for free!! It seeme silly to charge an enterance fee for a single ruin, when there was MUCH more you can explore for free... After a mile of walking around this ancient place, some construction workers hailed me from the path, and offered me my first Bidi! (an Indian Ciggerete made from rolled up leaves). None could speak english well, though the many workers understood a simple smile and Namaste gesture, so we instantly became friends. After my ciggerete burned down, they went back to work, so I continued my exploration.. Soon a small kid came across my path and I offered 10rs to take me on a tour of this little town on the outskirts of the city... Suddenly I realized that I have found REAL India...

Apparently, Fathepur is the ruins, and the sprawling streets that law below are nothing more than a bazzar. Sikri is the little town that lay 1 mile away from Fathepur, on the outskirts of the ruins. This is where the kid took me.
It seemed rarely a single tourist every comes to thier town. The stench of fecies and urine had yet to overwhelm the excitement of finding something off the beaten path. Soon enough there were about 20 children of all ages following this "strange looking westerner".. Some of the adults started to brag about something that slaped me with a reality check..

"look!! Light! Electricity! 11,000 watts! We have light!" This small, poor village of Sikri was so proud of thier new electrical lines, it was apparent that until a few months ago, this old town was in the dark ages..

My 10 year old guide can speak fluent english and Hindi. Not only that, he could undermine your typical used car sales man with his money making antics! For such a young kid to be so ambitious, I was amazed, envious, and startled when our adventure came to an end and he said "so now you give me ruppes!"... I was like " I just gave you 10rs!"...
"No, they took it from me (his brothers/friends)".......
A look into my wallet revealed my situation with only a 50rs note..
After a sigh and another reality check, I handed him the 50, thinking how for the last hour, a smile never left my face, and this kid surely deserved a single dollar! "alright kid, here you go, Namaste!"

Man I am tired after walking all those miles, its time to retire on the roof-top resturant of Hotel Ajay.... The menu is handed down, and something catches my eye.... "Special Lassi??"... oh yeah!
"please sir, make it weak, I dont wana throw up"...
An hour later I was floored, and ready to crash, but not before a good meal and a nice conversation with the 100th Australian to cross my path since Delhi..

The next day, an adventure to Barantpur, a Rajasthan boarder town a hour away from Fathepur Sikri with a bird sanctuary...Upon arival for this day trip, I was lost... A cycle rickshaw offered to take me to the Bird Sanctuary for 20 rs...
"Too much, 7rs", I said, and proceded lost down a strange road...
The old man peddling his old cycle riockshaw ran after me and agreed. I though to myself, its probably around the corner anyway, so hes getting a good deal... The old man was tired and around 60 years old. His legs were thinner than my arms. From the look in his eyes, I could tell his life was harsh. What was supposed to be around the corner, turned out to be half a mile away... I felt so horrible, I tipped him double what I paid!
Pennies to me, a days wage to him...Its amazing, yet hard hitting.

My butt is sooo Sore after renting a crappy bicycle for 25rs to peddle around the park. The chain fell off 5 times, and it became more of a hassle to have this pice of junk between my legs. While peddling around, I came across a nice Indian boy around my age, who offered me some wild berries. They were exotic and tasty, and after a conversation, he escorted me to find a python, which was amazing to find in the wild! Looking for a good time more than money, he took me to his village that lay betyond the 5 foot walls boarding the Bird Sanctuary. Then off to a temple where some old men take care of the stray park animals. A young Antelope was among the many animals there, and kept licking the salt from my sweaty shins. "Hungry" he says, as a bottle of milk was handed to me. Feeding a wild Antelope was pertty cool!

Five hours of adventuring through this massive place, it was time to call it a day. Ariving back at Fathepur Sikri, I decided to walk the bazzar and check out the scene. Suddenly a man working behind the counters of his store stopped me, like everyone does, in fascination of my cheek piercings, and strange hat used to hold my long dreads. I asked him what kind of buisness he runs, and he replied "chemist"..
"do you have anything to help with sleep??" He handed me 2x 10mg Diazepam and asked for 5rs!! What a deal. Being invited behind the counter for some chai, Bidi's, and a conversation, the next 2 hours were awsome.

And then it hit me as it still does: Indians see the world as I do! That god is everything, and nothing seperates us, we are all brother and sister. Never before in my life, have I found someone who understands exactly what I belive. And whats even more amazing, every indian who converses with me about god, feels the same way. No wonder how everyone lives in harmony, within the chaos that is India!
It was now time to eat, and I had to part with my chemist friend. A short trip bck to the roof top of Hotel Ajay for some dinner, another Special Lassi, and my new sleep aids brought me to the a state of tranquility which allowed me to marvel at the ruins above, for hours!!!

For the second night in this wonderful town, I again heard some strange chanting coming from somewhere within the Bazzar.. I HAD to find out what it was, and where it was coming from.
The night was late, around 9:00pm and the streets relatively calm...
My tranquil state forced me to roam the streets in search of this chanting...
Soon about 20 young men, of all ages, approached me. They took me within the Temple and showed me how to pay my respects. Walking down some stairs, a group of 5 or so devotees were chanting and banging on thier musical instruments.. Supprised to see a foriegn face, the greeted me with smiles, and soon I was handed some religios food, rice-like sweets made for the temple. It tasted sweet and delicious.

After exiting the temple, we sat on a curb across the street, still surrounded by 20 young men who couldent get over this "stange looking traveler". They gave me a pack a Bidi's as a present, and after smoking a few something wierd happened...

Two men on a motorcycle pull up fast and smack one kid in the head. The entire crowd runs in every direction heading down the dark alleys. I am left standing alone after a few seconds, no good byes. The men on the motorcycle look at me, point to my hotel and say "go now". I was later told by a kid, the men were police...

MeCasa

I'm glad to hear that you are well, even happier to hear that you are making the most of your trip

You have a good atitude and my guess is a ready smile, keep the posts coming

It's all fun ;-)