500 - cash exchanged in sg
250 - cash exchanged in india
110 - atm withdrawal in india
90 - extra cash
54 - visa
240 - airfare
total tally of 1244 sgd
for those who want a rough guide on the costs
cheers
Friday, July 22, 2011
Thursday, July 21, 2011
Kushinagar the place where the buddha moved on to nirvana
The actual spot where the buddha passed on into mahaparinirvana.. The back stupa contains the relics of the buddha
Trian is running extremely late in the middle of the night and in front of me is a railway child
Abondoned by family , caste and living below the poverty line these kids are living like there is no tomorrow.
Not suprising as india have got lots of people living under the poverty line. Its surreal just sitting and waiting in front of these homeless kids and in another way a wakener for me yet again.
And my trian is the only one which is late and I paid tatkal seat at extra 200 rs for it.
For the uninitialed tatkal seats are premium emergency seats whichare only released 24 hours the trian starts. They may be purchased from gov railways its offices or authorised agents.
One gentlement even told me he once paid 1000rs for a tatkal ticket omg
Waiting for the trian in front of the poor sleeping boy in purple pyjamas now.
........... God bless
Sonatalai Railway Station mid way back
Sonatalai Railway Station
Madhya Pradesh
http://m.google.co.in/u/m/B9I3gF
One of the asokan pillars left at the mahabohdi temple
Dun ask me what those people are doing ask me directly but the people are throwing coins on top of the pillar. Yup I missed mine heeee
Ps
Tuesday, July 19, 2011
Sonatalai Railway Station mid way back
Sonatalai Railway Station
Madhya Pradesh
http://m.google.co.in/u/m/B9I3gF
The burning ghats of the varanasi
The main burning ghat is the manikatika ghat and was there for a while with all the burning in place.
The burning was really intense chocking up my throw and displayed in full view of the public.
Apparantly the burning ghats are managed by doms or the untouchables and the people who comes are relantless.
As much as 20 bodies or more can be burned at the manikartika ghat and the smoke is really strong. Different wood is used and the most expensive wood is the sandal wood.
The fire have to be taken from the eternal fire of siva which have to be taken to light up the fire.
Different burning pits are for different caste and profession. The top upper levels are for politicians and soldiers. While children pregnant ladies and holy man do not get burned as they are pure and they are tied to a stone and the river ganga flows it away. A really interesting and poigant process i must say.
Even at my hotel i can smell the burning which is very close to the burning ghats.
Coupled with a hot day and also lots of people around with a hospice by the back of the temple where people are waiting to die with or without their family. It is truely a process where we truely see the cycle of life.
Now i get an irritated eye and a stuffed nose from all the smoke.
Rightly called the city of shiva indeed
The burning goes on and on
The burning in the ghats goes well onto midnight and it seemingly never stops.
Praying chanting and all the sounds from the temple never stops. A really humbling sight i must say.
People from all over bathing washing and playing in the river. It sometimes seemed just too real that a single river may support all these activities.
Also forgot to add that people who are bitten by cobras also do not get burned as they believed that the poison of the cobra is holy and the person will instead be washed away by the river ganga.
As im writing the ghats are awash with smoke and prayers even at night.
Taking in my kf and taking the sights and sound and the choking smoke.
Simply amazing
Monkeys on rooftops
The monkeys in varanasi is surprising cool and placid. No monkeying around and no harressing people with food. Kinda surprisingly tame I must say.
Also nevertheless very wattchable with their whole family drama acted out in full rooftop view.
With a lighter brown shade below and a darker brown wist up and a red face they look almost to be blushing at you
Also the thing with the monsoon is that it is fully blowing in and we get half times of wetness and hotness
Phew
Chewing tobbacco in india
Chewing tobbacco in india have always been an interesting fact.
In the first time. I saw some indias split something like a red split out of their mouths. I wonder what that is and then realised it is actually tobacco.
No wonder india is almost smoke free and everyone is actually chewing but not smoking it which is a good thing.
But because of tobacco chewing, you can virtually see lots of red split on the walls of many hotels and alleyway.
Now I know what kind of decoration is that
Sweating bukets in varanasi
Having a short quick and hot day and I must say its very hot here in. Varanasi
Hotter and also much more confusing with the winding ghats I have to move through but its really interesting close quaters I must say. Fantastic. !
Lots of korean chicks here and they are really fair and I wonder what are they doing in the sun.
Looks like its korean season now. However on my way I also met a really nice india new dehki grad and also a lady from shanghai trying to get away from it all. However im quite surprised that she didn't agressively bargian hard enough most prob she just came from heavenly nepal to earthly india.
Hopefully the sun will set and people will be suffering less on the slivering heat.
But it was a good trip down sarnath though.
Surprised of many one girl and many girls group around though. Girls are now the peeps travelling.
Things have really changed
In the buddhist chinese temple
Staying in the buddhist chinese temple with a monk who speaks english. Oh thank god.
Sarnath is a really great place to relax but the weather today is really burning hot for a lack of a better word. Everything seems to be hot but a temporary quiet retreat from the sun in the nice archea musuem of sarnath will really break the heat thanks to the strong aircon.
The museum boosts the original 4 headed lion of asoka and also the wheel of law which is the pride of indias national symbol and its printed on the flag too. However only a few pieaces of the wheel extists and they are reconstrcuted in the best posssible way.
In the museum there are scruptures of buddha from the early periods of different empires. The best being from the gupta period and also some greek inspirated ones.
Also the other most impressive one is the giant umbrella which is used to shade the statue of the buddha which is 4 meters long.
The usual tourist hassle and bussle exists but considering that it is so near varanasi and also a major pilgrim site , it is as tranquil as it can get.
Arrving in the off season but with the relantless heat and rain can sometimes take a toll.
Corruption in your face in india
Was in sarnath and I felt something amiss when things didn't turn or work out the way it is and then it hit me corruption.
Feeling it first hand how procedures are not followed due to corruption it hit me again and again that corruption is eveywhere and some things you will not see but some things you see it very well
It amazes me how corruption occurs and I must say that it is in really bad taste and method.
What a day
Sarnath where the wheels of the dharma is turned
Upon reaching sarnath, there is a clam in it and people are very relaxed about it
Though just 10 km from the city of varanasi. Sarnath is a little town by itself and quite quiet. Reached at night and went straight to the chinese temple and was greated by the keeper and also the abbot in charge.
As it was night fall I was abit apprehensive about it but thinking that it is very near to varanasi. I thought it must be ok.
Today is a new day and a must visit will be the deae park.
Met some travellers on the trian too. A girl from shanghai who is on a 6 month trip and another fellow indian who is on a business trip.
Sarnath will be my last part of the trip so needs one more lumbini to finish up on the circuit. Which I will prob do as a whole of nepal
Almost like a place laid back in time
Kushinagar have got only a few restaurants and also a few good eateries.
People are relaxed but we can see that many new developements are coming up and people here seemed to have a certain resistance to change.
Things are moving I must say too slowly to develop the place and people are making a big fluss about changes.
No wonder this place is really just starting up and have got minimal developments.
Just hanging around at the same places and not doing anything in this small town where the buddha passed on is still not a bad ideal anyway.
Hot lazy days ahead
Saturday, July 16, 2011
Friday, July 8, 2011
Lost caucasion man in india
There have always been lots of success stories of men who losst their way in life but came back strong ala steve jobs.
But how about men who have totally lost themselves in india.
There are at least one such man that I saw who is stumbling down india state by state. This man looks like he have actually losst himself to whatever he is looking for.
Not surprising that people who went to india to find themselves either lost themselves or manage to reclaim themself. Really a play of win it all or lose it all.
Just an interesting sight that I noticed
Kushinagar a low quite town always getting ready for prime time
Upon arriving in kushinagar. It was always a new sensation to breathe and feel a new place. The town is quite off the main artilery roads of india and unlike the others. I may be called a back water town.
If not for being famous for the place where thr buddha passed on and where he was cremeted.
This small town is really sleepy and looks not primed yet for primetime. Always looking forward to be a major attraction with new projects coming up and people are alway waiting for this town to be a major site of visit.
Many projects and upgrades going on the town is also companioning for the dalai lama to come and do more preaching and lectures and it is also pulling the crowds by trying to build the worlds biggest sitting buddha called the maitrya project
Now being the summer season and temperatures hitting feverish temperatures the only people coming in is me , local indian tourists and also the occasional tourist from thailand etc.
Also quite intersted to know that many more expensive hotels , the royal residency and the lotus have all closed. Very intersting and they seemed to be only open in oct where most big bucks western and asian tourists come.
Most impressive is the burmese mosnastary which towers upon the town by the main gateway which caretaker was sleeping and I wasn't able to get accommodations there and then there is the vietnam and chinese temple. Japan sri lanka and also the thai temple which is also undergoing renovations.
The temple where the buddha pass on is located on an open field and I must say the place is quite hot with the summer heat and such but the mount where the buddha was cremated is quite shadely but that is quite far off from the main town and at least 20 mins walk.
Coming here is a completely different feeling and I must say its more isolated then I thought
Lost caucasion man in india
There have always been lots of success stories of men who losst their way in life but came back strong ala steve jobs.
But how about men who have totally lost themselves in india.
There are at least one such man that I saw who is stumbling down india state by state. This man looks like he have actually losst himself to whatever he is looking for.
Not surprising that people who went to india to find themselves either lost themselves or manage to reclaim themself. Really a play of win it all or lose it all.
Just an interesting sight that I noticed
Kushinagar a low quite town always getting ready for prime time
Upon arriving in kushinagar. It was always a new sensation to breathe and feel a new place. The town is quite off the main artilery roads of india and unlike the others. I may be called a back water town.
If not for being famous for the place where thr buddha passed on and where he was cremeted.
This small town is really sleepy and looks not primed yet for primetime. Always looking forward to be a major attraction with new projects coming up and people are alway waiting for this town to be a major site of visit.
Many projects and upgrades going on the town is also companioning for the dalai lama to come and do more preaching and lectures and it is also pulling the crowds by trying to build the worlds biggest sitting buddha called the maitrya project
Now being the summer season and temperatures hitting feverish temperatures the only people coming in is me , local indian tourists and also the occasional tourist from thailand etc.
Also quite intersted to know that many more expensive hotels , the royal residency and the lotus have all closed. Very intersting and they seemed to be only open in oct where most big bucks western and asian tourists come.
Most impressive is the burmese mosnastary which towers upon the town by the main gateway which caretaker was sleeping and I wasn't able to get accommodations there and then there is the vietnam and chinese temple. Japan sri lanka and also the thai temple which is also undergoing renovations.
The temple where the buddha pass on is located on an open field and I must say the place is quite hot with the summer heat and such but the mount where the buddha was cremated is quite shadely but that is quite far off from the main town and at least 20 mins walk.
Coming here is a completely different feeling and I must say its more isolated then I thought
Monday, July 4, 2011
Stomach upsets and such
Have been having lots of upsets due to too much food and also too much gassy drinks. Oh man what a way to start the week.
Varanasi is one word hot hot hot
Varanasi a modern holy city.
Went on the fantastic ac3 trian to varanasi and the air conditioning sure didn't disappoint .
Reached and wass greeted by an array of people on the streets and I must say it was not that too difficult as I must say that varanasi is very well set up for travellers
Looks almost like a new and upcoming city. That place radiates live and action.
Went to a guest house and was greeted by a few and I took my chance and went for the guy with the cheapest rates .
Apparrently there were a few places there and this was the old yogi lodge. Nice place but lots of climbing and yes I missed a step and landed on my knees arhhh it really hurt and the sound is terrible when it hit the floor.
Arhh now my knees are hurting and hope it doesn't affect my travels I must say.
Also eating and waiting for the food. I must say the food is quite normal and also nothing special. However I must say my knees are still hurting arhhh
Sunday, July 3, 2011
Noise as a way of life
I love how noise is always a way of life in india. However noise which may make you feel alive may also irritate us the other hand.
Right now someone is trying to blast music in the restaurant which is counterproductive.
Car horns on the other hand is a differrent class by itself. The loudest horns are those that are the school buses. They take horns to a new level I must say. Once there was this yellow school bus that upped every horns ever on the road and almost made me deaf and I thought that I am immune to the horns . I was wrong.
I must imagine the ear of the buddha where the places he preached must have been quiet tranqient places though I must say that the cities should equally be noisy but not with modern hi tech noise that made making noise that easy.
My hat goes to those people who have a high tolerence of noise
State of gov run hotels in bihar
Its strange that when you are in a government run hotel in bihar ,
It always seems that the building looks ready to be abandoned
The rooms are somehow made into offices
People are always lying on the comfortable main sofa in the lobby.
People are always walking on the alleyway like an office.
Lights are alway on off mode unless you request it to be on
There is always something dismantled or burned out in the floors of the hotel
People are always very relaxxed and no sense of urgency
People are always looking at me with fish bowl eyes like im an alien.
The restaurant looks like it needs new lighting as it is very dark but still kudos to the ac which is very strong
Still most gov hotels are way too far from all the tourist districts
Noise as a way of life
I love how noise is always a way of life in india. However noise which may make you feel alive may also irritate us the other hand.
Right now someone is trying to blast music in the restaurant which is counterproductive.
Car horns on the other hand is a differrent class by itself. The loudest horns are those that are the school buses. They take horns to a new level I must say. Once there was this yellow school bus that upped every horns ever on the road and almost made me deaf and I thought that I am immune to the horns . I was wrong.
I must imagine the ear of the buddha where the places he preached must have been quiet tranqient places though I must say that the cities should equally be noisy but not with modern hi tech noise that made making noise that easy.
My hat goes to those people who have a high tolerence of noise
State of gov run hotels in bihar
Its strange that when you are in a government run hotel in bihar ,
It always seems that the building looks ready to be abandoned
The rooms are somehow made into offices
People are always lying on the comfortable main sofa in the lobby.
People are always walking on the alleyway like an office.
Lights are alway on off mode unless you request it to be on
There is always something dismantled or burned out in the floors of the hotel
People are always very relaxxed and no sense of urgency
People are always looking at me with fish bowl eyes like im an alien.
The restaurant looks like it needs new lighting as it is very dark but still kudos to the ac which is very strong
Still most gov hotels are way too far from all the tourist districts
Patna
Pataliputra and the capital of bihar and the ashokan and mauryan empire. This is where the people go to and where it is the most busiest.
Nearest site is in vaishali and the people are overflowing here.
One deduction I have deduced is that the more cows here. The more in development the city is. So you may take it with a pinch
Patna the british name and most commonly used name is the capital of bihar. Bihar meaning from vihar or monastary.
Patnas is fast becoming a major city but it development is outpacing the standard of living little boys and girls are still pacing the garbage circuit and capitalist class and social class are coming in for a clash.
People here however are getting more educated and it can be seen very clearly from the shopping malls coming up.
The most two famous sights is the goldgar or the canary where the britisj built it to counter famiane in the city itself which was most luckily not needed to be used at all.
The museum have got lots of oddities and also a part of the relic of the buddha which was unearthed in sarnarth
Like any typical indian city in the monsoon. Its been very very wet indeed and it really feels like singapore but much more of the extremities.
Trying to connect my way through to varansi and see how it goes from there
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