My End in India

Macleod Ganj:

On the way. 

View from my window

After 1 night in Jammu I knew I didn't really want to stay any more. There's not much about the place that would really entice one to stay from what I saw. I was close to the bus station so the next day I hopped on a bus that was en route to Dharamasala. The guys that work there would just turn you away saying -"No there are no buses there until tomorrow at 8am." You have to be very specific and say well, can I get on a bus that takes me half way and change? - then it's easy. Hopped on a bus at 11 and arrived at Pathankot where I hopped on another bus that a white guy was on cos he said that it was going to Dharamasala - so had the Indian guys outside - but they stopped at the town before Dharamasala - so the two of us changed and got onto a local bus to take us up the hill. The views of the mountains from here were wonderful - especially as it was sunset, they looked all pinky. I didn't get any photos as the buses are so jostly and my camera has pretty much packed up now. I said goodbye to the lovely Spanish guy I'd been chatting to on the journey when we reached Dharamasala. He stayed on there - but I wanted to carry on upwards to Macleod Ganj the Dalai Lama's place of residence. As I arrived it was quite dark, but a guy approached me asking if I needed a room - and I just said yes to him - as it was easier than wandering round dark streets alone trying to find a reasonable place to stay. He took me to a well lit square. It looked like a cute little festive hill top town. I loved it immediately. I followed him down some streets which were darker and had the quintessential Indian  cows eating the garbage. The rooms were a very reasonable 300Rs /night and had hot water, bathroom and double beds and a tv. I was very happy. Very happy indeed. I danced around my room a lot in the following days.

Arif.

The next day I had hoped to go to the Dalai Lamas house but instead got caught up shopping - which I spent all day doing even though I wasn't supposed to be spending money after the carpet incident... It sure does make a girl happy though. Ridiculously I bought a lot of books... I've almost finished one now. I really love reading about religion and philosophy and Tibet. The world is so interesting, and sad sometimes. I met Arif this day, a sexy Kashmiri guy who is well travelled and extraordinarily strange. We had some good times together. I went to his shops most days to chat and we would go out for my daily cake fix and sometimes watch movies in the evening. I'm not allowed to talk too much about him, he's a very private person - in some ways.

View from the Dalai Lama's place.

I stayed longer than I expected just because there was such a wonderful atmosphere in the place. I had no sense of being ripped off anywhere. The food was delicious - although Tibetan food I find quite bland - all the cakes made up for it though. I visited the Dalai Lama's monastery about 3 times because I really wanted to go to the Tibetan museum which was closed each time, and the souvenir shop which was also closed each time. Unfortunately, I did not meet the Dalai Lama as I had hoped, but to be honest, I don't know that I'd have much to say to him other than - "I think you're wonderful keep up the good work-  Anything I can do to help with Tibet?" (I bought a t shirt that says something about Free Tibet  - when you buy any other Tibet of the same price... That prob helps a little). I was told by a few people that he was at home at the time that I was there. So I'm happy knowing I was in the same hilltop town as him for 5 days or so. He's so cool. On my way up from the monastery one day I decided to buy a maroon shawl so I looked like a monk - the lady kept trying to sell me girlier ones and I explained - no I want to look like a monk - her little boy laughed but I don't think she understood.

Buddha at the Buddhist temple

Amristar : 

Entering the Golden Temple Complex

I was a little sad to leave Macleod (mostly because of the cake) but I always look forward to going on to new places. I hopped on a bus to Pathankot again where I could change and go to Amritsar. There is a golden temple that Sikhs built there, and I've not seen so much of the Sikh religion in my travels. I've stayed with Hindu's and Muslims and in a mainly Buddhist town. The journey was about 5 hours before changing buses. The views are so lovely coming down from the hills though that the time passes quickly. I felt a little ill on the journey from the dinner the night before... fruit in a korma was what did it I reckon... I hopped off my bus and the very next bus I saw was going to Amritsar... Cool. So I hopped on. It was one of the scarier drivers who like to accelerate towards oncoming traffic and then swerve at the last minute in front of another vehicle in the lane that we should be in. You know your driver is a little crazy when the Indian passengers on the bus are looking at each other as if to say "what the hell?!" I laughed at one near death miss, which very few other passengers seemed to have noticed. Lots of them looked at me like I was strange. In Amritsar I popped straight into the 1st autorickshaw I saw who took me to the golden temple as requested. I would normally walk at this point but I had 5 bags of shopping from Macleod. The fist hotel I found was called the lucky hotel , it had a good name so I stayed there. You can stay in the temple, I've heard it's very nice as is the food. But I had so many bags and was a bit ill - so it's nice to have a private toilet and what not. And hot water again. Such luxury.

A VERY religious man...

The Golden Temple

The next day I went to the Golden Temple after breakfast. It was lovely and peaceful and beautiful. You have to take your shoes off before you enter and it was all very clean. There were lots of people but not too many, walking round the golden temple which was in the centre of this pool where people could bathe. I think it was holy water. You  can go inside the temple where there are many people praying and singing. It's lovely music. There was also a museum there about Sikh history which I went up to see. It had a lot of painting's of Sikh martyrs being martyred. There's a pretty bloody history I wasn't expecting. Why are religions so hypocritical? It's like every single one has been involved in wars and what not - even though it goes against their major principles! I left there and did a bit of shopping (just a bag to put my shopping in really) And then organised a jeep to take me to the border where you can see a ceremony for the closing of the gates and the taking down of the flags at the India and Pakistan border. I have never seen such crazy high knee marching in my life. And the soldiers, in their funny fan shaped hats, also do incredibly unnecessary high leg kicks. It's all for show I believe - but it draws a huge crowd on the India side and a slightly smaller crowd on the Pakistan side, and all the people are like cheering and what not. It was nice to see but a little strange nonetheless.


Delhi:

I went to the bus station the next day at 12 being told there were buses ever 20 mins by my hotel man, every hour by a man who worked there and eventually being told there was one at 4pm by a man who worked for the bus the was running adjacent. I confirmed it with another man who worked at the info desk. I hopped on another bus and the ticket man kindly helped me at the station where I had to change. These buses were slow and the journey rather boring. All roads no mountains. Its the kind of journey where you arrive at your destination and after blowing your nose your snot is all black from the pollution I'm presuming... It's gross, and a little worrying.
I arrived in Delhi at 11pm, I was accosted by many rickshaw drivers at the bus station. I was back in a place where everyone was trying to rip me off. 550Rs! just to get to GK where Betty's guesthouse was. My Journey from Amritsar was like Rs400! Crazy. Anyway. I picked a guy, and his friend almost invited himself along until I made it clear I wasn't happy about that. The man was drunk and had been standing too close to me as I waited for the rickshaw. He said goodbye and groped my boob as I was leaving. I was glad he didn't come along for the ride. The driver I did have may not have been the best choice either. I think he may have been drunk, He kept trying to speak to me in Hindi when it was quite clear I didn't know what he was saying. I phoned Betty who then sent me a text saying  'be very very careful. Very very careful indeed.' as apparently it was very dangerous to take an autorickshaw at that time. It wasn't terribly helpful. But Betty spoke to the driver a few times, and I arrived safely so it was all a happy ending.

Rajghat : Ghandi's tomb thing

Betty has been looking after me well, taking me to temples where you're not allowed to take any photos so I'll probably forget all about them. But they have interesting robotic and light shows, fountain and light shows, underground boat rides and what not. We also visited the beautiful Lotus temple where people were singing prayers which were just so spiritual sounding that they put you at peace even though you had no idea what was being sung. The place echoed like crazy - I think even I would have been a good singer in there... We saw Rajghat where Ghandi's ashes are - another peaceful place. I've also met more of Betty's extended family. We had lunch with aunts and uncles and cousins and grandmother as well as immediate family yesterday. Amazing food. Lovely company. I love being in a family group - even if I'm not technically related, you really feel like one of the family when you're with Indian people.

The lotus Temple at sunset. 

I was supposed to go to Agra today to see the Taj Mahal, but I overslept and have decided to do that tomorrow, as I thought I was leaving on Thursday, so I didn't want to go on Wed in case I was delayed in Agra. It's lucky I did come on the internet just now, as I've printed off my flight ticket and realise I leave Delhi on Wednesday... I leave India from Kolkata on Thursday... Phew... Just as well I didn't go on the internet on Wednesday... This does however mean that I probably won't be going to Agra... Which is a bit crazy. But, the way I see it is, I have to come to India again. I need to visit all of Rajasthan, so I'll just start my second trip in Agra then move on to Jaipur etc. etc. I've actually already got a lot of places I need to visit next time... like Kerala - because their adverts just make you want to go there an lie on an elephant as you're by a waterfall...

Anyway, I leave for Thailand in 2 days now... so I probably should find out where to stay and what not...