Following in the Footsteps of Buddha

Leaving Kolkata on a Saturday evening proved itself to be quite difficult. Traffic there is the worst in all the country. So, evidently, i missed my train to Gaya. Got to the train station and bought a ticket on the next train. Of course i had to go up in class and therefore pay 4 times what i would usually pay. I believe things happen for a reason and so was on the lookout for signs. Got off the train in the morning and saw a monk and 2 chinese men, i knew they were going to Bodhgaya, so i asked if i could share a taxi. I ended up going to stay with them at a monastry and spend the day with them in Bodhgaya, the place where Buddha was enlightened under a Bodhi tree. I learned that they were starting the Buddhist Circuit Pilgrimage. This was obviously a sign and so i asked if i could join them. So the following 5 days i spent travelling in a jeep through the villages of the poorest parts of India - Bihar and Utter Pradesh with an Indian monk and 2 Chinese-Australian men. This is just an example of the wonderful things that can happen when u are travelling on your own, and you can just do what ever you want. We stayed in monastries and visited Buddha's birthplace, where he was enlightened, where he gave his first sermon, and where he died. Plus a few more places along the way. It was a perfect introduction for me into Buddhism, a philosophy more then a religion, as there is no emphasis on God.

Now, i am in Varanasi. This is a very Indian place. Small alleys in the old city are full of cows and dogs and rubbish and shit. The ghats along the Ganga river hold a plethora of activity, from boat rides, to cricket matches, to washing of clothes, to holy bathing, to swimming for fun, to water buffelo bathing, the cremation, to sewerage run-off and endless puja ceremonies. Yes, Varanasi, or Banaras, has it all.
Its getting hot too. Makes life a little difficult. But i get up for sunrise each morning and make most of the cool early hours.

Will head up to Nepal soon... looking forward to nature, mountains, cooler weather and less people.

A poem I wrote in Rishikesh in december

What is it that makes this place so magical?
Everything always fits into place and seems so logical
Even the cows, the dogs, the beggers and the filth
This land and everything it holds is of great wealth
Splashes of the rainbow everywhere you look
And experiences you'll get that you can't read in a book
Over a billion people live here
So you'd think most people would steer clear
But no, year after year,
More and more are drawing near
There must be something here...
Don't be scared, there's nothing to fear
The sky is hardly ever clear
And it can be quite difficult to find a nice cold beer!
The men will often stare and leer
And the cows have a fur more like a deer
You mostly see smiles, hardly ever a tear
And a game of cricket with many a cheer
Its easy to see why people come here for almost a year
To open their hearts with love, not fear.

Kolkata

I like this city. Its full of contrasts. I was watching a game of cricket yesterday with some skyscrapers in the background, some homeless people in the foreground and then a shepherd hearded some goats along. Made me laugh. I love India!
Yesterday (and today) is a fun festival called 'Holi'. Its the celebration of the end of winter, and the beginning of spring. There is drumming and music and everyone gets these coloured powders and dyes and attacks everyone else. My hands, arms, declotage, face and back are still stained with different coloured dyes after 2 long washes. They tell us now, afterwards, that we should have put coconut oil on our skin for easy cleaning. Hmm. It was horribly fun though. It was like being a complete child again, everyone looked they had been finger painting and their clothes were like those smocks we would wear. I think it is also a tradition to drink bhang - a strong natural plant that gets u very stoned, i tried it once and NEVER want to again. And you could identify the locals who were obviously under the influence. They were like in a trance rolling around on the ground to the music - very trippy indeed! I wonder how long it will take for my predominantly purple hands and nails to become clean again?? I'm guessing 5 days.
Tomorrow i start some volunteering at the Prem Dan centre which is one of Mother Thereasa's homes for terminally ill old people. Kolkata is very different to other parts of India that i have been to. Ie. there are relatively no Israeli's here! So strange, as most places are little Tel Aviv's! Here the Spainish dominate, as do the Japanese and Korean. What is it about people from these countries that make them want to volunteer, to help those less fortunate then themselves? Its beautiful anyway.
The street food is super tasty and extremely cheap. The chai is the best and cheapest then anywhere else in India (2 rupees!) and the weather at the moment is perfect.
Viva kolkata!

Feeling Famous

So today, i went to the cinema to see the bollywood film, "Salaam e Ishq". It's a film that i just happened to star in! Last time i was in India, me and Dan were extras for a day in this film. And now its a new release in India. I must admit, even though it was in Hindi, it was great - superb even! Really well produced and the dancing scenes are huge! Massive budget! So if you happen to see it, i am in the nightclub scene where the older guy who starts to cheat on his wife goes to see the younger woman. I'm wearing a pink top with white pants and am in the background for most of the scene. I was loving watching it, its very exciting for me! And i'm guessing for you reading this, its not that exciting for you! Ha, i'll stop now.