Finding Buddha
Trip Start
Aug 23, 1996
1
234
561
Trip End
Ongoing
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Bodhgaya, India
Monday, January 2, 2006
After this fun, we went and bought some tickets for a bus to Patna. There were only night buses, so we bought some seats, asking to be as close to the front as possible. We were given 1, 2, 3 and 4. Whilst waiting for the bus, I asked the manager whether Kashmir was Indian or Pakistani. He said India. Lucy tried to explain that Kashmir should just be Kashmir. He would not have this and said that Kashmir will always be Indian. He just couldn't understand that maybe Kashmir wants to be like Bhutan. After waiting over 3 hours, we found the bus, and our seats were gone. After a while, you can only take so much, so I explained that as I had bought these seats, either the people move, or I sit on them. I gave them a demonstration !!! Words were said, and then I was taken back to the office to sort this out. The manager came back, and tried to sweet talk us, Lucy and I stood firm, and we were given our correct seats. The bus took off, and fuck me, but this road was up there with the road from Hue to Hanoi. There was no road. Just pot holes and dirt. Occasionally, I nodded off. After a while, I wrapped Lucy's scarf around my head so that my eyes were covered. Around 03:30, I was woken by some wanker who demanded our passports. We both told him that we needed to see his papers. He would not produce, so neither would we. Lucy told him that he stunk of booze, and that he was not in a fit state and to fuck off !!! He touched me. I told him that if he did that again, it would be the last thing that he does. I then told him, I was now covering my eyes back up and that I would be going to sleep. I did this, and at 06:00, we arrived in Patna.
We walked to the station, and that is when I discovered my old mate runny bum had returned !!! Oh well. We bought some tickets and waited for the train. When it did come, it became a complete shitfight for the seats. No seat numbers so people chuck stuff onto the seat and say it's theirs. Fuck that, we took the seats, simple as that. No reservation. All ours. Fuck them. There were a few unhappy people, but the four of us had seats.
My ass managed to make it safely to Gaya
Once off the train, we set about arranging a ticket to get us out of here. Cramps overcame me. I asked where a toilet was, and was told upstairs. I went up. I saw an open door and went in. An Indian man was in there and he exploded telling me it was a private room and that I should get out. I told him not to get angry with me. I told him on numerous occasions and that it was a bad thing for him to do as I was in an good mood. Then it happened. I lost it and I told him that he was a fucking idiot. I did this more than once. I walked out, and then found the toilet and relieved myself. I went down and spoke to someone in enquiries. Then I went back to the other three. Once back, my friend was now downstairs making a complaint about me. I explained to the other people that he was rude to me and that I made a mistake. He then asked if we knew where we were. Ryan said India !!! And that this whole country is full of rude people !!! He then said that I called him a bastard, so I went right up to his face, and said no, I called you a fucking idiot, you fucking idiot !!! We walked out,as he was filing his complaint !!!
We jumped into a rickshaw and went to Bodhgaya.
Once there, we had loads of problems getting a hotel. One guy started hassling out Meghan. She tried to be nice and asked him to leave her alone, but he wouldn't. Then she lost it !!! We couldn't help but laugh. Eventually we found one, but, again it happened. A short ass was talking to me, and then he tried to get a hotel give him commission for bringing us there. Ryan told him to fuck off. After Ryan left, he told me to fuck off out of his country. I asked him what he said, and he repeated it. I explained that this was not the time too be speaking like this. I went up to his face, and he was shaking. His friend started apologising on his behalf. He said it again, so I pushed him. I told him to leave before I get really angry and not to be around me. He told me to fuck off again, so I pushed him again, whilst his friend was apologising again. They then walked off.
So, this was our first 24 hours back in India. I have missed the place, and now cannot wait to start exploring this town !!!
Bodhgaya
After the fun of getting to Bodhgaya, it was good to have a nice long sleep and then hit the town. After breakfast, this is what we did. First stop was the Mahabodi Temple. This is the most important temple in the Buddhism culture, as this is where Lord Buddha received his enlightment. He sat under a Bodi tree, whilst doing this. Of course, this is a special place. The tree was killed a long time ago, but before this happened, a cutting was taken to Sri Lanka, and later on, another clipping was taken back to Bodhgaya. Many people, mainly Tibetans were praying under the tree. As we walked around, through the fences, beggars were pushing their bowls out asking for money. As usual, we ignored them. By the time we had finished with this temple, all the other temples were closed for lunch. Well, except the Chinese so we had a look at their version of a Buddhist temple. Their were no Commie symbols, but I did wonder how they would know what Buddhism was now-a-days. But then again, they do own Tibet now !!! We met up with the Seppoes, and had some lunch and then went back on the temple trail. First was the Thai Wat. It was just like being in Thailand, except all the Indian beggars and shit that they were selling outside !!! We moved on and went looking for the Cambodian Monastery. We could not find it, but I did manage to lose Lucy and the Seppoes !!! So I visited a couple of Tibetan Monasteries instead. They were quite nice in a Tibetan sort of way. Back onto the road, I found a 27 metre high seated Buddha. Loaded with tourists, I joined the hoard and did a circle of it. Not as big as ones we had seen in Myanmar, but everything is bigger in Myanmar !!! As I walked out, I met a Thai monk who showed me where the Cambodian Monastery was. There was not much there except a few buildings, but I met a monk and some novices. They were here for 5 months studying. I asked about their version of Buddhism and they explained the differences between their's, which covers Cambodia, Thailand, Myanmar, Laos and Viet Nam, and the rest, China, Tibet, Japan, India, Sri Lanka and Taiwan. I also asked if they had any animosity towards them, and he said no. It made me think of the Muslims. The Sunnis and the Shi ites do not like each other and do kill each other in Pakistan. I walked out and saw the other three. They said that a load of women had tried to pickpocket the near the Bhutanese temple. We agreed to meet later and I went to the Japanese temple. Their's was different again. I was kind of expecting paper walls, but it was niceand quiet. Outside was a peace bell which was rang twice a day, but I was there at the wrong time. Next was the Bhutanese temple. Meghan had said she really wanted to go there as it was most probably the closest she would ever get to the country. It was really colourful outside and inside, it hadee some great reliefs on the walls.Very impressive. Once the temples were done, I went and looked for the pickpocketers. They were not around, so I moved on and went and waited for the other three. After a while, Lucy and the Seppoes arrived and we went looking for the Vietnamese Monastery. It took a while, but we found it, and just like the country itself, they would only let us see what they wanted us to see. There was a huge wall, with barbed wire and a guards house. They would not let us in !!! We left and went back into town and found a different Vietnamese house. It was ok, but it did not make up for the Monastery. We left that and went into the Taiwanese Monastery. There was nobody there. Very stark, I took a few photos, and then we left. The final temple of the first day was another Tibetan temple. From a distance, there was a huge stupa outside, and because of this, we at first thought it was a Burmese one. As we walked down the road, we found another Tibetan temple. We decided to leave this one till tomorrow, but we had a quick look outside of it. It was covered in flashing lights, and this was most probably the cause of the lack of electricity in this town !!!
Luckily for us, we had a bottle of wine which we had bought in Nepal. Whilst letting it breathe, we heard a noise. We went outside and found that our room was now locked off from the rest of the hotel. We yelled out, and Meghan heard us and unlocked the doors. She left, I sat down, heard another noise and once again, I went out and saw that we were locked out. I banged on the doors and this time, straight away,it was opened by the lady owner. She lost it at me and started yelling at me, I stood there and took it. Lucy tried to talk to her, but she was fucked in the head. Not long after, Meghan came in and we started drinking the wine. There was a knock at the door. It was the owners husband. He lost it at Lucy. I told him to calm down, but all he wanted to do was lock us out. He then told us to lock the doors ourselves !!! We finished the wine, and as it became 12:00, the Japanese peace bell was rung.
New years was really a non event.
Burmese Monastery - I had forgotten that the Buddhist statues had flashing lights around them. After leaving Mahabodi Temple, we were sitting watching the people walk by, when a Tibetan woman picked up her 1 year old, dropped his pants and started going sssssssssss. Amazingly, the child started to piss !!!!!
