Jan 12

Last day in Amritsar. I decided against staying in Punjab and travelling with Merin, the French dude, and will instead travel with this Aussy chick and another UK bloque. We’ll go by bus, which will be my first, to Bikaner. I have no idea what I’ll be doing there, or how long I’ll stay, but it’s further south which will hopefully mean warmer and I’ll actually have a couple travel companions which should be interesting. I’ll figure out where I want to go from there. So, I only have a few more hours of fluorescent turbans and unequalled Indian warmth and hospitality. Even the people who want to sell you something here do so with a smile and never aggressively, it’s such a welcomed change. Part of me would like to stay, but I am a little bored, there’s really nowhere to just sit and chill and watch the world go by, I’ve already had my meditation at the golden temple and I feel, it’s best for me to find somewhere else to park my ass for a few days, or just one. Hopefully moving will get my mind off Erin too and see what the deal is within me with that. So, another 12 hour journey ahead. It seems since 08 that I’ve done nothing but spend time in random conveyances, but it’s the only way to do it and I have to see as much as I can and keep heading south. Had short conversations with a lot of foreigners here, this hostel seems to accommodate 1000s of foreign tourists every year, all for free. Hundreds of thousands more sleep in the Indian quarters and just about anywhere that can accommodate a person lying down covered in all kinds of warm hues, blankets of them like waves on the ocean cover the floors at night, housing countless Sikhs. I still don’t understand how it all works, but it’s a nice thing to see. I know that at least they encourage all travelers who stay or visit to make a donation. And they even have a recommended minimum amount, but they don't enforce it.

Jan 13

This is what India is all about! Wow, what a change in vibe and overall appreciation of things in the past few days. I have to admit, I was a little worried, things were great from an adventure perspective, but things felt a little empty, devoid of real contact, the ability to share with anyone some of the thoughts and experiences absent from the stage, now, it feels like things are completely different. This, I love, and today, I feel like I could do this for many more months. India feels wide open, as I was hoping it would and I feel like I just don’t have enough time for the first time since I’ve been here. What a great feeling, and to know that I already have these experiences, physically cold as they may have been, under my belt as I march on, is a comforting feeling. But, as I look ahead, I see a new India opening up before me and it’s spectacular.

So what’s the difference? Well, it started in Amritsar, which though I did little else but work and chat, connect with the world I left back home and not much of it in a positive context, I managed to walk around a bit and get a feel for things, a feel very much different from what I had seen and experienced anywhere else before. The people were warmer, they smiled, they said hello, they exuded a warmth I hadn’t seen prior and it felt so much better. I meditated in the golden temple, I ate free dal and rice, I stayed for free in a comfortable hostel and there I met a bunch of people, albeit sharing very little with them of substance, but it was contact nonetheless and exposure to others doing something relatively similar. That was such a welcomed and needed thing, but I had no idea it was just the beginning, I didn’t know what was possible. Today, I got a glimpse. Kate has been a great travel companion. Open, talkative without being overbearing, similar in curiosities, similar in budget, experienced, albeit in a different region, namely Nepal, and easy going. It’s a good combination and though I don’t think we’ll be traveling anywhere else together, this short stint has given me hope that there could be more like her. So, we traveled by bus from Amritsar to here, me Kate and David. Kate and I sat next to each other, David had his sleeper bunk and we hardly saw him again. Kate and I talked, then she fell asleep, then I tried and failed, blah blah, I finally managed to get close enough to be refreshed enough not to be tired all day. It worked. We got to Bikaner after enjoying a sunrise from the bus, seeing the desert edge spread out before us, and exchanging more words and excitement. It was cool. We were both planning on staying at the same place, so we decided to come together and found a hut available and chose to share it to save money and for the hell of it. Then we hung out in the courtyard of this great little place, talked, absorbed the rising sun that managed to fill me up with its warmth and bring sweat to my brow. It was glorious as she put it in her Aussy accent. We had a little something to eat, made arrangements to be picked up by touktouk and took off for the camel Research Center, where we hoped to find a cavalcade as the LP put it, of camels coming in from pasture. It was a joke, and pretty much a waste of time, though I met a large group of older Canadian jewish ladies who seemed to have no business in India, but we talked a few minutes and it was also nice contact. I had 2 camel saffron ice creams (ya, camel milk ice cream made with saffron, yellow in color and it was awesome) kate had one and remainder of the milk one of the ladies was about to throw out after tasting, and we took off for the old city. That was great. We got a free guide, walked through the beautiful markets, the old narrow corridors, the spacious alleys and roads of the old city where the havellis (old raja mansions of sorts) are and even got a tour of a heritage hotel, converted from a havelli and it was absolutely glorious. Something to be experienced in my opinion if one has the money. Our guide was pretty cool, we got to see a Jain temple, walked some more, got to walk through the spice market. All was great. Came back to the hut, found Sylvain one of the French dudes who was part of the group of 4 frenchies staying here and we got to talking in French, all 3 of us, me Kate and Sylvain, and then the other 3 showed up and we had a good old time exchanging stories as the night got colder. Had my first charas (indian pott) experience, which was soo mild but nice and smooth and soon after, it was over and we all called it a night, running from the cold desert night air. Now, recharged by all this and by the unexpected warmth of the people in the city, all saying hello, all smiling, all acknowledging your presence in a positive way, I feel like I can relax and enjoy what’s to come, knowing there will be rough days, but that there can be some great ones too and I’m more ready than ever. Rajasthan is great so far and from what I hear is like this all throughout. Kate’s been fun, the new group of frenchies rock, (Linadine reminds me of lulu so much, it makes me smile) and I feel awesome. This is gonna be all that I wanted from India and more and I can’t wait. Tomorrow, grab some more heat, walk around and video the old city and markets, which are different and cleaner and more open and organized than any other I’ve seen so far, and see where the day takes me, or us.

For now, I’m left with a feeling of satisfaction, hope, and excitement. I’ll fill you in on the details of the city tomorrow I hope.