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Diary This is Jan's diary. If you want to receive this diary by mail, write your mail on the contact form.
‹ Previous (18/10/2008) MONTH Next (2008-12-17)› ‹ Previous (2009-08-29 - Nepal) COUNTRY Next (2009-09-19 - Pakistan)› India Kolkata (see on map) 22/11/2008:
After about 8 hours of conduction from Bodhgaya, we stopped in a gasstation and started to sleep well early with the intention of following the journey after four in the morning. And although not ignoring the alarm clock was difficult, the prize for the madrugadores was double, for as we waited ourselves we could circulate the hundred of kilometres that missed us up to Kolkata without traffic and to enter six in the morning with the deserted streets in the city; but besides, we could park in a calm and centric street, which a couple of hours later was crowded of cars that also wanted to park there. Having rested a little more on the bed of the selfcaravan, about ten in the morning we go out to do the formalities to which we had come to Kolkata: Trying to recover the data of my broken portable computer (mainly the journal written to India from the entry up to Gwalior) and to inform us about the licences to cross the Indian state of Manipur (in permanent conflict) and like this to be able to enter in Myanmar (Burma). And although we had to wait for each other four days, in the end, an efficient company has today delivered three DVDs to me with the lost information and an administrative agency informed us about the requirements the day before yesterday to visit Manipur, basically to be married or four people to be a group of minimum. So, were in excess us a couple of days to visit Calcutta (Calcutta named during the colonisation Englishwoman), a city without too much touristic interest in comparison to other cities visited in India, although quite modern and well care taken of it. Surprisingly, Kolkata is not the stereotyped city which we expected to see, were not as decadent as in the old chronicles, and in general they had quite a lot the ground floors, occupied for shops and restaurants, fixed; and neither the poverty that the mother Catholic Teresa de Calcuta fought is excessively present, then it seems that the Marxist policies of West Bengala have favoured the rural life forehead the urban one, avoiding the big hordes of refugees that in last famines addressed the city. In any case, Kolkata showed us three typical images that we had not observed in the other Indian cities that we had visited. The first image (repeated twice) was an old fire engine that it tried to be made the way among the chaotic traffic of Kalkota to touch of bell; later, some friends done in Kolkata explained us, that the fire engines have bell instead of siren so that the drivers can differentiate them of the cars of police or ambulance (I do not know if to give them more or less preference). The second image, present in multiple streets of Kolkata, were the restaurants that were gotten on in the pavements, protected under a plastic and offering great diversity of menus to the passers-by that normally made the food standing. Finally, our attention was fixed inevitably in the numerous rickshaws, that instead of being dragged to engine or bicycle, are dragged by the brute force of the carriers, which take a small bell to the hand to warn about its crossing]>. In Kolkata there are the last riskshaws porteados for men, and although the government wants them to do to disappear these show a big endurance, since a family depends on the work of each of them, having at the same time the friendliness of much of the population. Besides, according to our friends of Kolkata, even the governor of West Bengala uses the rickshaws when the streets are flooded during the monsoons and the rest of the traffic is aturado. Having been mentioned without honour, I will finish writing the story of Kolkata highlighting the great hospitality received by Rudredab and its woman, which let us park in its roomy garden and us invited to a delicious dinner. Rundredab is lawyer, and its woman collaborates in an ONG that helps to women affected by the violence, but now was of decrease because two months ago it had had two twin children. During the dinner they talked to us on the cultural Kolkata that has seen numerous artists to grow, thinkers and writers, as the poet Rabindranth Tagore. We also talk - apart from rickshaws and fire engines - on the weddings, explaining to us that they had gotten married for love (without being a fixed marriage) and according to the Hindu ritual, in which the best date and hour of the wedding according to astrological affinities are chosen. Finally, today in the morning we have said goodbye commenting that very possibly we will see again ourselves before visiting the Asian southeast, and we have started to make south address road. ---- Taking advantage of Rudredab appearing open to be interviewed, I took the pulse to the world with it (although the interview was recorded badly). Rudredab opined that the main problems in the world are referred to the environment; the occidental countries should do more to eliminate the pollution and already that comparatively India has little pollution for cápita. In any case, all the countries will have to do sacrifices and to increase the production cost not to contaminate. Although it not does too much at personal level, all the world can collaborate to reduce the pollution. The main problem in India is the lack of education and the corruption, that it is found to all reports (for example, you have to pay a tip so that the workers of the electrical company accept the monthly fee you and do not cut you afterwards the light). The problem would be solved if nobody agreed to paying corruption, apart from raising the salaries in the public sector. At personal level Rudredab is happy, nor so alone knows as it can be happier. The secret of the happiness is to be happy with what you have. Puducherry (see on map) 29/11/2008:
We have been driving for eight days about 2200 km through the east coast, in order to arrive in the south of India, where we will celebrate the anniversary of Alexandra here about four days and where we will find with David, Maria and the fathers of these some days later. If the memory does not fail me, this stage the covered longest distance will have been in less time of all the journey; and naturally, there are different factors that can justify it. On a part, have circulating through one of the best roads of India, little gone for lorries and of two lanes all the while, except for some hundred of kilometres in the state of Orissa, where the road was to means to build since some years ago, as if the money to keep building the road had evaporated, probably because of the corruption. It has also contributed to this marathon of kilometres, the fact of in the east coast of India there not being too many monuments to visit (in comparison in the North, West and south of India), perhaps because the kingdoms that governed the coast of the Sea of Flare were less powerful; or because the low plains of the east had less quarries from where to extract rocks and of where to build monuments that held the crossing of the time; or because many of the temples that in spite of everything ascended, were destroyed by the exerted Muslims who in the sixteenth century arrived to the east coast, little before its decay. In any case, it would be unimaginable that in 2000 kilometres there was not any point of interest to visit, and in fact there are some, although we only visit three, all of them in the state of Orissa. First we visit Kornak, some calm people where the impressive temple of the sun is, built in the 13th century for a king of Orissa, probably to celebrate a military victory on the Muslims. After visiting the temple, we direct did eventually beach that is extended in front of Kornak, and where for the first time from Turkey we could observe the captivating immensity of the blue sea again. Naturally I could not resist of making a bath, but I went out from minuscule granites of sand which the desires of trying it at the moment again were passed me so breaded. The day after Kornak we visit Puri, at few kilometres of Kornak, but with a completely different atmosphere, then Puri is one of the most important centres of Hindu pilgrimage of India, being the temple of Jagannath Mandir the main attraction, that has the closed entry to the not hinduistas ones. In any case, it was worthwhile to walk through the wide avenue full of small trades that during the hinduistas celebrations they must be of pilgrims to burst. On the other hand, Puri was one of the points of India where I felt more intimidated by the hinduista religion. It had the sensation that the pilgrims or people of the people were directed to me with aggressiveness and intolerance for not being hinduista, as if they were declaring for me that our place was not there. So, having interpreted this message which receiving seemed to me, we go next towards the city of Bhubaneswar, capital of Orissa. Anyway, despite being the capital (or maybe because of that), I only got lost an afternoon through the south of the city, where there are spread different hinduistas temples built during the 9 and 10 centuries. Among these pretty temples, I had the occasion of attending different hinduistas ceremonies, that later, during the journey they made me think quite a lot. While we passed statues (of about 10 meters of high one) of the Dios Hanuman, or monkey]> God of long one on different great occasions, I convinced me that the Hinduism is one of the most superstitious religions of the world. On occasions also we passed with big posters along the road announcing Gurus, as the one who announces a business, with Hindu sentences that I interpret as: 'he believes in me, it pays and you will have the paradise'. In fact, the majority of temples in India are deprived and are financed with the particular donations, in some cases compiling millions of rupiahs, when it thinks that a temple helps comply with your desires. But one of the aspects that more surprises me, apart from observing a thousand and one ways different to adore the hinduistas Gods, is the ceremonies in which a guru makes repeat different mantras to a person, while it blesses it and it makes him throw himself flowers, foods and water above forms drawn in the ground, or on flames or figures of gods. To good insurance that with these hypnotic ceremonies, the faithful one finishes the guru thinking any positive message that says it, finishing the session with a completely reinforced personality and capable of confronting any challenge that the life stations it, even if it is to cure an illness. In fact, I am convinced that the hinduistas ones are so superstitious and they have so much faith with its religion that some of the illnesses that have can get to cure, in the same way that the innocuous tablets can cure if they have associated a placebo effect, and in the same way that any other technique based on the faith of the results of the technique: homeopathy, acupuncture... (with pardon for expressing this opinion that is so personal). Anyway, I did not pass myself all the journey meditating, we were also quite a lot of while conversing and the rest of time enjoying the landscape, in general infinite plains of green colour, cultivated in small lots, and separated by ranks of palm trees or other tropical trees. Also, we kept observing as as we advanced towards the south, the sky kept being blurred, even that two days before arriving to the destination it started to pour with rain. It felt that it was rained, in fact did some months that had not seen the rain and the selfcaravan needed a good wash, but on the other hand, it worried us that we had not chosen a bad place to celebrate the anniversary of Alexandra, for we were arriving in the south of the coast of the Sea of Flare without the season of the monsoons in this region having finished. Besides, that it little afterwards of his starting to pour with rain, we enter of full in a deep puddle of water and when going out discovered horrified that the horn of the car had been wetted and it was not familiar. It was impossible to drive without horn, the instrument is more important to drive the Indian, for example, as could we tell the lorries of our arriving and their stopping driving in zig-zag through the middle of the road? o that did they not change lane unexpectedly? Really it was suicidal to drive without horn, so, taking advantage of his already darkening, we park in a gasstation to be able to continue the day after with the dried horn. The following day and today we have kept advancing towards the south under the rain, observing many flooded areas and quite a lot of people for the sides of the road looking at the waters accumulated since bridges or positions high of the road. In fact, seeing so many impressed people impressed more than simply observing the brown waters, because we did not know whether the areas flooded before were part of a gap or river. In fact, we could only value the excepcionalidad of the situation when we had clear references of what was abnormal, as the flooded streets, the homes with the incoming water for the door, or the motorway covered of water (always the contrary lanes). 05/12/2008:
When we have reached Puducherry (the city was called Pondicherry one year earlier) the rains had been finished, but everywhere signals of the storm were observed with flooded streets and quite a lot of trees and fallen branches. In fact, we were very fortunate that from our arrival the rain only came a few times, afterwards leaving a splendid sun that dried all the streets and our humid autocaravan. So, we have been able to enjoy six days of rest, one of the main desires for Alexandra for her anniversary, that frequently complained about not taking holidays in our journey. Even though, as incredible as it might seem, the Romans had visited Puducherry about 2500 years ago, the main influence of the city is French, country that dominated four enclaves in India from the ends of the 12th century up to 1956, when it yielded the territories to India, 8 years later of its independence. Although the city is at present occupied by Indians, the atmosphere in the French part is calm and relaxed, with streets flanked by trees, pretty mansions of French style and a popular avenue separating the city from the sea, that continuously cracks against an artificial cliff of rocks. The city has churches and a cathedral as different attractions, but what caught the attention of us more was a temple dedicated to Ganesh, out of which there was an elephant that we visited almost every day. The elephant, called Lakshmi (deity of the prosperity), was a female of about 18 years (a baby even, commented the keeper) that gave blessings to all the ones that delivered a coin or a bank note. At first it was difficult to approach to the big animal and to leave to fall a coin in one of the two orifices of the trompet, in whose end she was holding put the other coins until the keeper claimed them. Later, however, we take sufficient confidence to leave that the animal passed the trompet over our head (as a sign of blessing) or to approach us more and to caress the forehead of soft skin and thorny hairs. Very near to Puducherry, there is another attraction, the town of Auroville, which we did not visit because the day that we had the intention I came down ill. In spite of everything, we had previously visited one of the projects and could make an idea about the philosophy of the people and the community. Auroville is a foundation of the government of India, that it has bought lands so that people arriving from all the world can develop positive projects for the humanity. Although the project intended to be for 50.000 individuals, the current population is of about 1500 adults and about 500 children, originating from 44 different nationalities, although the great majority (40%) are of Indian origin. We specifically visited Abraham and Yorit (original from Israel), which five years ago initiated the project of Sadhana forest, with the philosophy of generating an environmental impact, planting trees and contributing towards decreasing the CO2 of the atmosphere. Helping them develop the project, they always had working among them from 10 to 80 volunteers that came from all the world with the intention of remaining a minimum of two weeks, enjoying free accommodation in exchange working (4 hours a day for 5 days per week), and paying some 2€/day for the cost of the food. In the same way, many other similar projects are being developed in Auroville, and many other could develop if there were more people in the world ready to give up the system to help the humanity (Auroville would provide lands and a minimum economic aid to develop initiatives). Anyway, according to my individual vision, even if the Aurovill people think to have given up the system, the community does not stop being another subsystem with some rules that also have to be accepted and that can also be unfair through some sectors of the mini-society (for example, the alcohol and the drugs are prohibited). In spite of everything, I think that the subsystem Auroville is better socially in ecological terms and probably (they aspire towards a society less competitive and without fear), although, I also think that if the subsystem were converted in system (for example a whole country dominated), it would end up having the same problems (or more) as any other existing system (For example, a country that wanted to expel all the drinkers of alcohol should confront great internal and external conflicts). So, according to my opinion, it is very positive that they exist many of these projects or mini-subsystems, that, on the other hand, will be still tied up with the global system through internet, books and minimum technology. Although, according to its status, Auroville is a project that wants to create harmony among humanity independent of religion, Auroville was founded by "the mother", a pupil Frenchwoman and collaborator of Sri Aurobindo, both philosophers or hinduist gurus who through the yoga worked a spiritual evolution of the humanity to join it to the divine one. Like this explained us an old woman that we met casually, which worked as professor of languages (she was speaking Spanish very well) for the Ashram of "the mother" and of Sri Aurobindo. Although the philosophy of the Ashram was too much esoteric for me (and of course for Alexandra also) and too much centred in the adoration of the deceased guru, Lata was a good guide to visit some places of the Ashram, where "the mother" and Sri Aurobindo, in the middle of luxurious gifts of ivory and three surprising heads of tiger had lived together. Equally, Lata also facilitated us the entry in the dining rooms of the Ashram, which served very tasty and very economic food to hundreds of people, some of which original from other countries. Finally, i only have to explain that the day before yesterday (on 3 of December) we celebrated the anniversary of Alexandra dining in a good restaurant, eating fish after such a long time. Anyway, despite being the most expensive food paid in the last months, yesterday I was a whole day in bed with diarrhoea and a terrible headache (probably by the dehydration) and today, also although I was not so bad as to prevent our road towards Bangalore. During the dinner of the anniversary, as one year ago in Etiopia, the subject of getting married came out again. Maybe the subject came out because we had put on the ring of gold that we had given as a present, but that we had taken off as we separated in Pakistan; although the real reason of the conversation of marriage did not stop being practical. There are still lacking some months, but our journey to America every time is nearer, in the same way that our obligatory separation comes close if Alexandra does not obtain a visa to enter the United States (the Romanians have it more complicated). The only way of avoiding it would be a wedding between us, that I do not see in a complete way bad. Already does about two years and a half that we are together and, although we still have some disagreements, do not seem that these are an impediment to follow our communal life as until now. Besides, the last weeks i have been refreshing some aspects of the Buddhist philosophy and there are some changes that I want to apply to my communal life with Alexandra. I think that at present I have managed to come off the material possessions quite a lot and this is the reason for which it was not a great emotional setback to have the portable computer broken and its data in a temporary way; in the same way that every time it annoys me less that the Indians touch the car, they try to open or even they take off the adhesives. So, it seems that I am learning to forgive some attitudes of the Indians towards us, although until now I had not been capable of forgiving certain attitudes of Alexandra towards me. For example, normally I return more than unbearable when Alexandra is unbearable, or I turn hyper-hysterical when Alexandra catches an attack of hysteria. The behaviour should changing, I know it, but like this as I have already changed other aspects of me, I think that I can also change that, and to be able to be more understanding with the emotional up and downs of Alexandra in order to improve more ours communal life. And if really I can do these changes, why is should not think again about marrying? In fact, we only need to go to an India institution and to have two witnesses for person, perhaps we will ask David, Maria and their parents to be our witnesses* * some days later Alexandra looked for more details to marry in India and results that is not at all easy. So, we will have to leave it for when we return to Europe and meanwhile to study the procedure to carry out her visa for the United States. Bangalore (see on map) 11/12/2008:
As many other cities of India, Bangalore is known like this during the british colonisation but now they changed the name to the old used name: Bengaluru; but people keep using the name of Bangalore, because when one is accustomed to a nomenclature, any other variant seems ridiculous (Also it happened with Calcutta-Kolcata or Pondicherry-Puducherry). In any case, the popular origin of the name of Bangalore or Bengaluru yes that it has a certain point of absurdity, for it means "city of the boiled beans", a name that was granted by a king that got lost through the forest during a dispatch of hunt. Tired and wretched, the king found the home of an old woman that could only serve boiled beans , but so good was the food that the king decided to found a city on those places in honour of the devoured boiled beans. Anyway, leaving its name aside, Bangalore is known as the Silicon Valley of India and is therefore one of the most modern cities of the country, and maybe one of the less stressful (as to minimum for us). We parked in a calm street that crossed the park of Cubbon and in company of David and Maria, whom we met the day after arriving, we walked different days for the area of the MG street (Mahatma Gandhi), where there are different shops, restaurants and coffees very snobish and completely far from our budgets. Anyway, yesterday we moved away from the mall of Bangalore and dragged ourselves through small alleys with small shops, up to the big market of the city, out of which there were many shops of fruits and vegetables extended on the ground. Almost by error we lower to the inferior level of the market and we found ourselves in the middle of an impressive show full of colour (and fragrances), for all the area was full of vendors of flowers and garlands and women who sewed them in line or in other interesting forms. At dawn yesterday, the parents of David (José and Mariam) and those of Maria (Ramon and Mary)arrived, to celebrate with their children the Christmas holidays;it was already almost two years that they had gone out of home. Today they have presented themselves at the autocaravan and without having slept all night, they have started to make exhibition of the best Spanish humour, taking out the gifts of Christmas with a certain anticipation: my new computer and two couples of filters for the car, that i had not found out of Europe. The eight of us have gone for a walk through the MG road where the parents have started to take contact with the Indian culture and returned afterwards to the hotel (having to negotiate the prices of rickshaws in a very hard way), where they had us reserved a good party. the parents had brought different bottles of cava, packets of sausages, bread and sweets of Christmas, products that we had not tried for almost two years. I started to devour and to drink (together with David and Maria and Alexandra, although until now she was not too much lover of the Spanish products) with so much avidity that I forgot to take some photo of the event myself. Definitely, for me Bangalore will not be the city of the boiled beans, but the city of the paprika-flavoured red pork sausage, the ham and the cava (delicious). And already by night and half drunk, we have returned to the autocaravan, where tomorrow we will travel again towards Puducherry, towards where with a nocturnal bus will arrive our friends. ‹ Previous (18/10/2008) MONTH Next (2008-12-17)› ‹ Previous (2009-08-29 - Nepal) COUNTRY Next (2009-09-19 - Pakistan)› |
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