Journal of india, starting now!

Wazen

Well its time to part with Fathepur Sikri, and head to Agra for a day to see the Taj Mahal, the most cliche attraction any India-traveler could over pay for...

A small Hotel called the Shanti guest house offered AWSOME rooftop views of the Taj. I regret paying the $20 to get into the Taj, because the rooftop views were actually more amazing than admiring this creation from up close. Well you cant come to India and not see the Taj Mahal....
I stood inline for 10 minutes and was turned away for having an IPOD!!! Can you believe that!? I had to run back to my hotel and put it somewhere safe!
Well, the Taj was closed tomorow, and closed for half the day today, so you could imagine the build up of tourists!! Honestly, there were so many tourists, the stench of feet overwhelmed the beauty of the Taj, that is until sunset when the crowd dispersed, and I was left alone, infront of the Taj, staring at it for hours...
I couldent help to wonder one thing...
How could any piece of A$$ be so good?!?!

On the way back to my hotel, a man approached me with another question reguarding my dreads. He said "come visit my head shop" ... For the first time I followed a tout. It was a cool little place with jewelry and some Indian pipes. Suddenly the man puts on the counter, many different types of hash and opium. I wont go into any more detial, but for ther record, Bob Marley is more my Idol than Kurt Cobain, get my drift??

Everything worked out wonderfully, meeting many travelers from all over the world, many cool locals and decent over-priced Agra food.
A good nights sleep and then its off to Gwalior!!!

Again, without booking in advanced, I showed up in Gwalior and found a nice hotel for $9 a day.. The day was late, too late to visit the fort, so I wandered alone the streets of Gwalior... Suddenly two men on a motorcycle pull up and ask, "you want ride??".. I reply "no rupees"...
"Free ride, come!". I agree knowing they will take me to thier uncles or mothers shop for some overpriced stuff I dont want, but what the heck!

Turns out I was wrong! They were delievery boys just wanting to show me a good time. Three of us on a tiny motorcycle, we weave in and out of cars through the less-traveled parts of Gwalior. I was the ONLY westerner there for the next 2 days, so you can understand when they pull over at some side street and yet another crowd of 20 people surround me, silently, with interest.
One man says to me "Some people no good, they tease you, you should go".
"I dont speak Hindi so I dont care! Its okay though everyone is my brother and sister". He relays the message to the crowd and they lighten up a little..
After parting ways with the crowd, and another hour of riding on the back of this small bike making deliveries, its time to go back to the hotel and rest.

The second day in Gwalior, and I decide to lighten my 48L bag a little, to start the day. First I had to find a store who sells a cloth-bag, then I had to find a shoe-polliser with a needle and thread to sew it up, THEN I had to fidn another store to seal the seams with wax as a security issue!! Luckily, a nice man who had his own motorcycle took me around for free, just to help me out! He knew I spoke no Hindi, and felt bad, so for the next hour he took his time to help. So much Aloha, so much love...And wanted nothing in return, not even lunch!

After an hour of going from shop to shop, just to properly pack my mail, the grand total to ship back two pant and two shirts:
1,300 rupees!! After all that hard work and time, we all decided it was better to just carry it around with me after all... ARGH!
I just hope this Marmot can handle three more months of being stuffed to the max, I swear it looks like its going to pop or tear, and that wouldent be good!

Well we got half the day left, time to check out the fort! A quick rickshaw there and immediately I was in awe. It was so beautiful. The museum offered 1000+ year old rock sculptures everywhere. So incredible, so intriguing, especially a particular buddhist carving dating back into the B.C. era. Just amazing.

The journey from the museum to the top of the fort was a long up hill walk, zig-zagging through the face of the cliffs that rest below the ancient building.
Some men, again about 20, stop and surround me with interest..
They ask me to join them in a circle and hand me a pipe filled with tobacco and ganja. Watching the way they smoke is interesting. Their lips NEVER touch the pipe, instead they make a chamber with thier hands, tight enough to draw BIG hits. After a few tokes, and many smiles, it was time to contuine my adventure!
Within 100 paces I almost died from the sheer beauty of the fort resting upon the cliff. Climbing to the top some young teens ask me for a ciggerete, and I was scolded when the man who smoked the Ganja with me pulled up and said "NO, too young!" I applogised and shook my finger at them, we all laugh and continue our little personal trips. "ooops!"

Walking around the fort was easy. A long road journeys abouit a mile around the place, and soon I came across a Sikh Temple. A man with a long beard and a red turban approaches me and asks if I would like to stay a few nights for free, with free food, to learn about thier religion. We converse for a few hours, share some chai, and learn much from eachother.
He tells me the Sikh religion is about three things: Brotherhood, Equality and Harmony. It was apparent the connection between buddhism and Sikhism, and we both agreed, again, on the same matter:
Each and every living thing shares the same soul, an ant, an Elephapnt, a cow, a human, we are all the same, from the same god, and for that reason we must alwayts recognize the ever-persence of our universal connection. Brotherhood, equality and harmony.

At this time I knew, in a past life, I was born in India.


That night, yesterday actually, I drank some chai with ice cubes, and ate a slice of raw carrot. It was a night full of vomit and sickness. I couldent even
make it to the bathroom, so I put a towel on the floor and dry heaved all night long. Even water couldent be held down. After a small sip I would toss it back up. I was in hell, and worried about dysentery. This morning, however, I amazingly felt a little better, and actually handled the 3 hour bumpy buss ride to my new home, Orcha! Still yet, I can only stomach Bananas, and have yet to eat a real meal although its now 8:30pm...
We'll see where tomorow takes us, and thanks for reading my posts everyone!

Aloha!

JCGerms

Hi Wazen,

thank you for sharing your India experiences in detail with us. I was looking forward to your new post and will be to the next one as well. It seams like you found your place in this big world.
Sorry for your upset stomach. Hope it will go away in no time.
Enjoy your trip and keep us updated.

Jochen

lotus blossom

thank you for taking us along on your adventures. great visuals wazen; i have a good image of it all in my mind.

it seems that your dreads and piercings are intriguing and perhaps opening doors for you. and maybe also being a man and traveling on your own. as i read your rant i kept wondering if as a woman i could be included in all of the things that you have been, with no expectations or hassle.?

get well soon!

__________________
Not all who wander are lost

Darmabum

I'm really enjoying your play by play experience. Thanks for sharing.

And yeah, the Shanti in Agra has an ahhhhhhhhsome view of the Taj . . . I've spent days up on their roof . . . watching the sunrise . . . reading . . . watching the sun set . . . but whatever it costs, there is nothing like walking barefoot on that marble around the Taj . . . running my hand along it . . .

Take care of your stomach. There's no sickness like one 10,000 miles from home.

Happy Trails.
Scott

Sama

exactly my thoughts, lotus blossum!

I will see how it goes for me on my upcoming trip in March -- I will be traveling solo for 2 weeks after my school, taking trains and buses, to Madurai-Kodai-Rameswaram. It will be very different, as last time in September I could not do that much traveling. so be assured I will write about it.....

great writing, wazen, keep it up. and take care of your belly!

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

lotus blossom

i always travel solo, but have not wandered extensively as wazen mentions. to be honest, i admit to almost feeling pangs of envy as i read his accounts, thinking that as a woman i may not have the ability to experience such things. however, i met a group of men in bhagsu that did include me in on things, as one of the gang, not as a woman that they wanted something from. so it is possible.

i'll be interested to hear of your experiences yogagal. and march is coming soon...

Nick-H

I can't help thinking that anything this part of India has to offer will be tame compared to Wazen's experiences there up North!

Wazen

Aloha everyone,
Thank you for all the replies.
I dont know where to start....

India demands like no other time or place in my life, a positive attitude, but most of all, Inda demands letting go...
All attachents to cleanliness I once had needed to die here, in order for me to survive. Money, time, life it self, India will face you with...
And now where to start...

After gwalior, a nice change of pace at Orcha was great. A little cheaper and laid back, beautiful scenery, your typical little country town... During my 3 nights there, at the Gapati guest house, the battle between fun and sickness went on throughout the early mornings and late nights. Besides the temples, a few nice conversations with various people, and yes even your typical just "bullshitting" at times with others, one thing that stood out was the concept of our famous "love hate relationship" with India.

Love for the food, culture, history, although at times the food was played out (curried out), the temples became just another building, and all that your left with is yourself, standing alone wondering what am I doing here in this world, let alone India...
Love for always having somone to talk to, and hating never being alone when you want to... Love and Hate is an understatement: India surfaces every emotion, overwhelming the sences with its glory, and its pain.

Loneliness stoodout in my mind, in Orcha. One day I went for a walk, escaped all elements with my music, and found a beautiful river laced with massive marble rocks, a picture perfect natural beauty. takinga shirt off, alone and secluded, a nice rock made a perfect bed for a mid-day nap. A little ciggerate, a little smoke, and it was nice...
Although a lack of food, delhi belly, and an upset stomach was my main concern, perhaps the adventurous sprit within gave the strength to get away that very morning... Sharing a ride with another pair of tourists into jansi, the ultimate destination Kajuraho was still another 5 hours away. Packed full wth people, and unable to even lay back in my own chair from the overload of standing passengers, for a while it was hell...Hands holding my face, Ipod about to die, the few extra Diazepams given away like candy didnt even help for this sepcial occasion....Until his point, leaving india was the main thought flowing through my mind, and it was about to get worse....
A family sitting next to me was as plesant as my fresh change of pants after 2 weeks, that is until thier baby threw up on my legs. Nice baby throw up on my fresh pants and shoes, packed into a buss of hell, rocking violently with a upset stomach, this non-tobacco smoker chainsmoked 2 ciggeretes right then and there. To top it off, the mother had no appologetic gesture, or care.
(buying cheap ciggeretes are good friend makers).

By the time the buss landed in Kajuraho, A hound of touts, unprecedented, the most crazy wolfpack I ever dealt with, was Indias cruel joke.

A thousand "what can I do for you" touts, could only arouse sarcasm from my tired mind... Aloud after a pause "Give me a gun so I can shoot my self in the head". Within sight a toustis couple seemed like refuge, so I ran to them, with lies to the unrelenting touts "im with them, we have a hotel, we KNOW how to walk there". The couple, understandably, was cool about it...

Hotel Surya was my refuge after that ordeal. THough within an hour and lunch (yes with the same pants), the journey REALLY began...

A local man around 24, tall and medium build approached me. At the time his antics were not understandable, and yet two days later, i sit here, wondering where the last 2 days went, why I spent so much money, and what does this all mean...

Apparently now, he was a buiness man, whos encounter was like no other. Wating and hanging out through lunch with my new tourist couple-friends from the bus, I gave him the respect to hang out once the meal was over.
Back to his friends shop, where we hung out for hours smoking chillums.
They present me with free dinner, eating wild goat for the first time, lots of smoke, and lots of chai.

"Tomorow is Independance day, lets meet at 8:00 am, I have a car, Ill take you around to the school and we can see a parade in the old town, just pay for gas"...

"why not"...I replied..

Up early and he was waiting outside the hotel. The parade was a few miles away, and very cute to watch the school children march and yell. From there to a school where the dance was cancled becasue someone stole thier sound stystem the night before. We hung out with the teachers for a while, smoked some chillums on the roof and ate some sepcial Independance day sweets. Everything was cool and accepted, as the children were not around.
After, the dancing instructors, and a few beautiful women started to dance with what speakers they had left, just a small party between the 15 of us there at the time... The dancing went on for an hour, the music exotic and the movements naturally Indian. It was nice

Later that day he offered to help me out a little. Knowing my budget, and my situation, I splurged and bought a personal gift of decent quality from him, for a VERY tourist price (1000rs).
Then my friend, two others and I drove to a distant place, to a beautiful mountain where the villagers farm fruit growing from a huge lake, fruit which I have never seen... Old homely boats roamed the lake, and only a few souls were insight. We sat on some rocks overlooking the nature before us, and passed around the chillum for a while, enjoying the scenery....
Later going out to Dabbas that no tourist would ever find, back road joints with home style cooking, a personal gesture was to buy drinks and food for the four of us, my 400rs gift to them, from the land of aloha. Also another 200rs for some gass
My heart felt big, but my wallet much lighter. None but the gass was asked from me, at this point.
When night came, and knowing my hotel had no hot water this late, they made a bucket for me, and let me use their small toilet room to bathe.

After about 5 more chillum sessions, we called it a night, and I returned to a closed hotel at 12:00am. "oh nooooo".....
Waking up the owner with an unrelenting doorbell for 5 minutes, and after one hundred "im very sorry", it was time to crash, knowing somehow, I managed to spend 1600rs for the entire day, yet experienced something unexplainable....

The next day we agreed to meet up again, walk to some temples, have some fun...
starting the day with a nice chillum session at his "uncles house", he gave me another offer for a more greener present, as the first one was purely black.
Not a bad deal, infact a great deal by Hawaiian standards, I was happy at the 350rs price of this "green gift"..
Although the quality was compareable to some "good yet mexican" insense, it was still the best looking present I came across in India...
(not that it matters but so far, from this man, I have spent 1950rs!!!!)

The times were great, I was having blast and didnt think about the cost. This style of touring around was PERFECT. Everyone knew this man who I walk with, everyone who hears his name from my lips shows me respect, instantly, when he is not around. Touts become friends at the mention of his name. We walked through the backroads, the country side, through some beautiful untouched scenery, behind the old villages, and found temples through paths never-walked by tourists. Avoiding all the hassle in the city, jsut seeing only a few temples here in Kajuraho was good enough, as the experience of it all was even greater...

A shrine to the monkey god was along this path, and we met an old priest whom we smoked many chillums with. BOOM SHIVA!! Sitting on his straw mat, his life was that of a homeless man. My *personal* presents which costed 1350rs where cut in half and shared with all of them, almost as if it didnt belong to me but everyone, and shared even with the man who sold it to me. Many villagers came, we smoked many of my good chillums, and I listened to his religious knowledge through an old book, although he only spoke Hindi. This priestly man who had next to nothing, nothing at all, gave me his Chillum, along with the special rock, formed perfectly as a natural screen, as a present...
Something I wanted to cherriesh for life...
This was a TRUE chillum, and learning to smoke the real indian way is something that touched my soul...

He took his thumb, put it in the ash, and touched my forhead between my eyes, and said a prayer. When it came time to part ways, I handed him a meals worth for my self, for his temple, dandivan, namaste, words from my heart.

"Salawa"..."(lets go)".. My local friend said.
Only a few temples were visited, but each second of this time appreciated, and there was no need for anymore "sight seeing", for being one with many in India has a greater power than any guide book can teach....

As the night approached, it seemed many people of the town knew me, although I didnt know them.. Some on motor bikes would come up..."Your **** friend!, I heard about you!!"... ... the man with the pierced cheeks...

By this time, I needed to be alone and unravel in thought. Although a promise to meet my friend for a last Chillum needed to be fullfilled.
I thought of the good times, the pleasure, the fun, the money that I spent, the people I met and thier ways, the poverty, the value of life, the value of a smile and all that lay inbetween. Then it was apparent. It was time to leave Kajuraho, for in my heart I found what I needed, although there the temptation to stay is strong...So the decision to leave 7 hours from now, at 6 am to varanasi, is the right thing

A last good bye, a last chillum, a last meal with my friend, everything is cool.

Now I sit here, reflecting, and it seems there is an unspoken understanding.
He is a buisness man, and his profession is to hang out, meet tourists, show them a good time, and by doing so, he probably made 1000rs profit. At the same time, he has shown me much hospitality, a great time, and on a personal and spiritual level, I know we connected. On a superficial level, I knew he made from me a months wage....

So what does it matter?... I sit here and wonder, and one of the hardest questions everyone faces in life. What is money when you are happy? What is money when you are poor? but most of all... what is life really worth??...

Sama

as I learned in India, it also demands total awareness and truly being in the present moment....

but my question is.....would chillums be offered as readily to a solo foreign woman? there is no judgment in my question, just curiousity....

Digital Drifter

YG,
highly unlikely; In your rather domestic encounters you'd been prepositioned for no reason; Imagine, just asking someone whether you can jon them for a smoke.


Wazen,

Your travel has a dreamlike thread to it, you know? I dont know whether I just read a surreal experience or something about a chap who's still wandering in my Country?

So far, your travel is weird without being weird! It sounds so natural but logically atypical of anyone's elses.

__________________
Click here for the Indiamike train guide in PDF

Sama

DD, I did NOT want to ask THEM; I wondered if someone would offer a solo woman traveler a chillum as readily as they would a solo male traveler.

as for your second comment, I would tend to agree with you -- it reads like something a good friend of mine has told me about his travels in India back in the '70s, when he lived in rooms next to temples, smoked chillums with the babas, and received a new name from a sadhu....

Digital Drifter

Quite. & again no. Butt hen there are some tribals in certain parts of the country where woman do smoke & drink; where it would not be amiss if they offered a smoke to a foreign woman.

But the above is a guess, as I'm spouting from a dental journal's monograph about gum disease in certain communities in AP & Orissa. Apparently, some tribals smoke with the lit end of the cone shaped tobbaco leaf /inside/ the mouth leading to certain characteristic gum disease. the article said both men and women smoke and drink,as is their custom.

Outside of that, I cant think of any circumstance where someone would offer a single woman a smoke.

Wazen

Ill try to ignore the fact that your questioning my credibility, just ask yourself what am I to gain from lying. It reminds me of the touts here....


Varanasi is crazy, but today, the second day here was pretty chilled...

I think back to Kajuraho,
and remember how my friend walked me through the village and explained how cow shit is smeared around the enterence to every house for two reasons. One was to keep mozzies away..
Thinking back to smoking with the old man at the Hanyuman(sp?) temple...The way he somked was trippy... He didnt use a match or lighter.. He would take a piece of burning wood and place it on the packed chillum to get the cherry started..I remember hating the fact that I was inhaling some crap, and worried to death about gettign lice from him, and his friends there...
That night when packing up to leave to Varanasi at 5:30 am, I broke the chillum he gave me. But it did the trick for the first night here...

Man I havent had a hot shower in days. Last night I took a freezing cold shower because, that seems to be the norm when its too late for a bucket of hot water..Although all hotels but two had hot water for far I havent used toilet paper except for the first few days in Delhi.. Getting used to it...

Bartering at 10:30 pm for a room to sleep in worked a little, for a nice introduction to Varanasi. Claiming it was late and Check out is in like 13 hours the price droped 70rs but, again, no hot water as promised after a nice interegation with emphasis on hot water raining down from the shower head.... God I miss that. heh...

The next day I walked from the bustation area to the ghats, got my bearings straight, and before fidning a hotel got a massage for an hour... The hard wood bech and dirty mat wasnt so bad, and the man cracked my back in ways I didnt know possible.. It was alright, so I gave him only 160rs for it all...Kinda forced me into it but, maybe he could tell I really needed it... It was cool that we didnt negotiate the proce before hand, so the barter was a little more fair...maybe...?

Evenntually found the Alka hotel and they had a basic room which im staying at for 200rs a night.... I ran half naked at 12:00 am into the downstairs shared showers and took a nice cold one, thinking back and lying to myself that im at Ehukai beach, taking a cold shower after a nice bodysurfing session... After im done typing this, I think ill have another cold one

Waking up in the morning and the touts still had me half-dead. Everyone, and I mean EVERYONE HERE, will tout for one thing, and one thing only: DRUGS. Its so crazy I hate it with all my heart. I would think a person like myself would find it rather pleasant, but actually, its to a point where its scarry...On the second night after watching the nightly dancing/chanting ritual on the ghat down the riverside walkway, a man offered a five minute conversation and then some chai, so I said "sure"...
Thinking it would be a nice conversation, it turned out to be, first, a silk shop... Then after saying no, he preseed me like a police officer making a bust, but just the opposite intention, to sell me drugs! Im like "NO I HATE DRUGS HASH IS BAD"....And he kept saying "just look, just look"....

.. I ran. I mean I really just booked it down the alley at full speed. It was just too F**king much for me.

That night, I asked the hotel manager if I could stay out a little later.. he was cool with it...
I went alone to the burning ghats at around 10:30pm, and was beforehand warned many times by many people that "its dangerous at night"..etc...
I got my strength, so it was all good.

Within moments, I was 7 paces away from a burning body. Walkign up slowly, with prayer in my heart and remembering my reason for coming to india: To return to the homeland of the Buddha.
Over a bent rail, there was a cement ledge where a few were sitting. I asked a man sitting there if I could sit next to him. He nodded, and watched my eyes closely, staring at me, as I was fixed on the body burning infront of me. The heat and smoke was almost tasteable, and actually plesant, as one would think the stench of birning flesh is horrible, but the wood makes it actually as plesant as insence..






In the morning a solo travler shared breakfast with me and we decided to check out the university down the road as a peaceful escape. It was pretty cool, and we bargined a cycle-rickshaw for 25rs from the hotel area!

We walked to a botanical garden like place in the university and found a remote pond, where we smoked a few and kicked back, talk story, etc...Found a cool temple and zoned out on the ambience and chanting from the second story..
Ate some Malasa Dosa, a pepsi, and beleive it or not, after four hours, our cycle rickshaw actually waited, against our will and knowledge, to take us back! heh..... Alright, not to bad

Tonight, a few new people and a nice walk to the burning ghats...
I was not showed the same respect, nor able to get close to the fire this time. It was because four other were with me. We were banned to climb the building above, and observe only fropm this place. It was a different feeling from above, and I realized how traveling alone can be really damn lonely, but even more special. The kid who took everones attention as if to "guide" and explain to us what we watch, and the man who claimed his father was being burned, got donations from the other three.
I stood there in meditation and chanted from my heart, a sutra from my church. I knew in my heart not to give money, but to offer prayers, siltently, in respect and awe for the deseaced. This is the real gift to coming to varranasi, to pay respects from the heart, and not from the wallet. I dont know how to explain it. But I feel like sitting there all night until sunrise, chanting for thier souls, because it was very peaceful at heart.

Time for the cold shower and a smoke. I wana say it does suck to have my journal questioned, but I can give a f**k less, honestly, for what you think. Just like the touting hahaha.. But much respect to all, and much love

Aloha everyone.

Sama

chill out, dude. no one is saying you're a liar.
DD said your post has a dream-like quality to it, that's not questioning your credibility.

smoke another chillum.

Digital Drifter

Wazen,

I'm fucking lousy at writing praise,OK? That was about close I can get to saying 'beautiful' without going all weepy & mushy.


& Y'gal, thanks for scraping my face off the floor. I just felt pancaked.