Into India

Friday, March 8, 2013 - Goodbye Nepal

We left  the Chitwan National Park Royal Guest House at 2:00 a.m. in a 12 passenger van, Thursday, March 7.  Our goal was to get to our next destination of Lumbini, Buddha's birthplace, before the roads closed at 8:00 am or sooner.  

It felt like a stealth escape leaving in the darkness and avoiding road blocks as we drove through a deep fog on a rutted road.  A few oncoming vehicles with their lights on pierced through the black fog and road dust illuminating the van and the fourteen of us squished together, heads at all angles trying to sleep or eyes wide, avoiding sleep,   The big trucks are colorfuuly decorated with luminescent paint.  Coming from the opposite direction toward us, they would catch the light from our head lamps and appear as glowing apparitions in the fog.

Occasionally we would stop at ramshackle huts to pay what appeared to be a toll for road use.  There was one stop where military personnel walked around the vehicle peering in on us.  Despite the sudden stops and swerves to avoid dogs, cows, potholes, and few early morning wagons and trucks,  we reached our destination safely by 5:00 am., three hours ahead of schedule.

Rooms were ready for us.  We tumbled into bed and picked up our sleep where we left off 4 hours earlier

We all awoke at different times, but gathered at 1:00 pm  after lunch to walk to the temple grounds which cover several square kilometers.  In the village of Lumbini across from the temple,  the village  of Lumbini was hosting a Hindu revival meeting with a traveling swami.  Hundreds of men, women and children milled around the field and streets.  The women and girls were wearing brightly colored saris and tunic pant outfits with lots of bling that twinkled brightly in the afternoon sun.  The men wore tans and plain garments.  Their rich attire was in stark contrast to the dusty, shabby, and filthy living conditions in the village and areas surrounding the temple grounds.

Even though Buddha was born in Lumbini, most of the people here are Hindu.  The Hindu religion is based on a complex mythology of gods.  Everyday there is a celebration for one god or another.  Buddha himself was a Hindu by birth.  When Hindus started to defect to Buddhism, the Hindu holy men added Buddha and his teachings which are compatible with the Hindu religion, to their complex list of gods stifling the need for seekers to jump religions.  The people are Hindu but also revere Buddha without being Buddhist.

The exact historical place of Siddartha the Buddha's birth is a stone slab within the ruins of a Hindu Temple and is covered over with bullet proof glass and a fort-like building covers a good portion of  the ruins of the original temple.  The temple and grounds of Buddha's birth place is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.  Surrounding the birthplace, Hindu/Buddhist temples and monasteries from several nations are located.

Friday, March 8, 2013 - Holy Cow

Today has been a long travel day from Lumbini to Varanasi.  We left Nepal at 5:00 am, checked out of Nepal at 6:00 am, walked across no man's land to India and completed our entry paper work and India immigration at 7:00 am.  The contrast between Nepal and India is immediate.  We went from crowded, littered, impoverished, dirty and shabby, (CLIDS) from the power of 5 to 10 on the CLIDS scale plus Holy Cows and their droppings everywhere. 

We are now immersed in India where personal space is absent, streets are packed with vehicles, people, and cows.  Few people have even greeted us with Namaste which we became accustomed to in Nepal.  Yesterday, we stopped for a train crossing with a mob of people, vehicles and a large well-fed and shiny gray-colored cow stood right next to our car.  Everyone waited patiently for the trains to pass.  After a considerable wait, the gates lifted and everyone but the cow converged across the tracks. The cowed stayed stationery while the traffic moved around her.  We were still in the throngs of the crossing when we noticed the cow had moved behind our car, worked her way to the outside and and was crossing ahead of us.  There is an advantage to being a holy cow.

We arrived late yesterday afternoon in Varanasi with just enough time to glimpse the River Ganga with a dusk walk before dinner. Varanasi is where Buddha gave his first sermon.  Our guide told us there will be a big festival here on Sunday when we return from our river trip.  And there will be 100 times the people who are here today.  Our heads can't even get around that as it is packed now.  

Today we will be driving two hours up the Ganges and taking a two day down river trip in a row boa back to Varanasi.  There will be three boats.  Twelve of us plus our guide will divide between two boats with two oarsmen per boat.  The third boat is a cooking boat and carries the tents as we will be camping on an island on the Ganges tonight.

Should be an interesting experience!  Life is a journey.  All is well with the Worrall Travel R's.

PS SPOT IS ON, if you are interested in following us down the river.

Day 6 Lumbini,

Travel to the border town of Lumbini, the sacred birthplace of Buddha.

Day 7 Varanasi

The change of scenery from Nepal to India is immediate. Enter Uttar Pradesh, India's most populous state, and be greeted by holy cows ambling along the highway.

Day 8 River Ganges Boat Trip

What better way to experience the sacred River Ganges than by boat? Journey down the waterway and experience life on India's holy river. Enjoy a delicious meal before spending a night camping on the riverbank.