I must quickly show you this image from the railway station in Varanasi I took as we were about to catch the train. It kind of screams India!
Me and Bryan grabbed a second class train to Gaya. The train was heaving, meaning we didn't get a seat, and barely had room to stand in the corridor between carriages. The Indian personal space zone is almost non-existent, and you get used to having your head in armpits after a while. This was taken to the next level for Bryan on this train though, with a young Indian chap standing full frontal, with arms outstretched either side, faces not 5cm apart! The look on Bryans face was a picture, but unfortunately it was SO tight in the cabin that I couldn't get my camera out of my bag. After a compact and baking five hour journey we step off the train at Gaya.
Bodh Gaya is still an hour away on a local bus and it's midnight so we decide to stay here for the night. Walking around looking for somewhere to stay it seems an unwelcoming place, with expensive hotels - nothing in the backpackers budget. There's usually staring parties in India but I think we were the first westerners to ever decide to walk around here. We met a lost looking Spanish guy called Xavier, who decided to hook up with us. His English was so bad I have no idea how he survived in India. We eventually found a cheap room in an Indian hotel, possibly called Gautama (Bryan - can you confirm?) - which is Buddha's family name. We're led through corridors that looked like they were still under construction and into a room with two double beds and enough floor space to throw some blankets down. I had a nice and cool nights sleep.
Next day up and out early. Trying to get a bus was near impossible. As soon as one came hoards of people ran towards it and squeezed into every opening. People would throw their bags into the windows to claim a seat then barge through everyone to the front - while all this was happening the bus hadn't actually stopped! We decided against this carnage, and grabbed a tuk-tuk. Bodh Gaya is almost like a theme park. There are Buddhist temples from all countries here - Nepal, Sri Lanka, Thailand, China, Tibet, Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, Japan, Burma etc. and also a giant sitting Buddha. It's really good to see the different styles in such a short space of time as they're all quite different.
The Bodhi tree where Buddha sat and reached enlightenment is big, to the point of branches having to be being propped up in certain places. It's surrounded by a gold cage so you can't get close to the trunk. Right behind the tree is a huge Hindu temple which ruined the experience for me a little. It's still impressive but It seems rushed, the carvings aren't so good and in some places non-existent. Inside the temple is a large gold Buddha. It would've been much better leaving the grounds open, with the tree being viewed from all angles and distances, and keeping the historic sculptures and artefacts. Still, it's a calming place and we spent a good 30 minutes sitting around the tree, thinking, collecting leaves and avoiding the scorching hot slabs!
I love the chai in India, and the coffee isn't bad. Both are served in tiny cups and the caffeine kick is minimal. After complaining about this, and that I'm bored of cola, and hate red bull, Bryan turned me onto the wonders of mountain dew. All that caffeine in one delicious drink? (20mg more than cola) Surely that's not possible! I'd heard of it but assumed it was like sprite or 7up, and as it's not available in the UK had never had an opportunity to try it. I'm pretty hooked on it. I know this because they don't have it here in Vietnam (as the time of writing this blog entry) - and I miss it! Anyway... yea... awesome stuff. And while in India there was a special edition going around: Mountain Dew NEON! I think the difference is just the bottle but in the sunlight it looks awesome;
Me and Bryan grabbed a second class train to Gaya. The train was heaving, meaning we didn't get a seat, and barely had room to stand in the corridor between carriages. The Indian personal space zone is almost non-existent, and you get used to having your head in armpits after a while. This was taken to the next level for Bryan on this train though, with a young Indian chap standing full frontal, with arms outstretched either side, faces not 5cm apart! The look on Bryans face was a picture, but unfortunately it was SO tight in the cabin that I couldn't get my camera out of my bag. After a compact and baking five hour journey we step off the train at Gaya.
Bodh Gaya is still an hour away on a local bus and it's midnight so we decide to stay here for the night. Walking around looking for somewhere to stay it seems an unwelcoming place, with expensive hotels - nothing in the backpackers budget. There's usually staring parties in India but I think we were the first westerners to ever decide to walk around here. We met a lost looking Spanish guy called Xavier, who decided to hook up with us. His English was so bad I have no idea how he survived in India. We eventually found a cheap room in an Indian hotel, possibly called Gautama (Bryan - can you confirm?) - which is Buddha's family name. We're led through corridors that looked like they were still under construction and into a room with two double beds and enough floor space to throw some blankets down. I had a nice and cool nights sleep.
Next day up and out early. Trying to get a bus was near impossible. As soon as one came hoards of people ran towards it and squeezed into every opening. People would throw their bags into the windows to claim a seat then barge through everyone to the front - while all this was happening the bus hadn't actually stopped! We decided against this carnage, and grabbed a tuk-tuk. Bodh Gaya is almost like a theme park. There are Buddhist temples from all countries here - Nepal, Sri Lanka, Thailand, China, Tibet, Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, Japan, Burma etc. and also a giant sitting Buddha. It's really good to see the different styles in such a short space of time as they're all quite different.
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| Buddha as depicted in the Japanese temple |
I love the chai in India, and the coffee isn't bad. Both are served in tiny cups and the caffeine kick is minimal. After complaining about this, and that I'm bored of cola, and hate red bull, Bryan turned me onto the wonders of mountain dew. All that caffeine in one delicious drink? (20mg more than cola) Surely that's not possible! I'd heard of it but assumed it was like sprite or 7up, and as it's not available in the UK had never had an opportunity to try it. I'm pretty hooked on it. I know this because they don't have it here in Vietnam (as the time of writing this blog entry) - and I miss it! Anyway... yea... awesome stuff. And while in India there was a special edition going around: Mountain Dew NEON! I think the difference is just the bottle but in the sunlight it looks awesome;
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| *heavenly noise plays* |
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