Sunday 23 October 2011

Punjab and Rajasthan

After Himachal Pradesh I had a few fairly thought-free days on easy and straight roads. They eventually lost their appeal or turned difficult to ride as their quality got  poor for rather prolonged sections, but it was nice to begin with.


From Chandigarh I rode into Amritsar, home to Sikh holiest shrine, the Golden Temple. It really is as beautiful as people say. Walking around the Temple complex it was hard to believe that the existence of such a peaceful place amidst all the noise and traffic just outside the walls is even possible. There was a wonderfully friendly and welcoming feel, free food for everyone, and nowhere else was I ever spoken to so nicely by men in uniform.




Worth the mention is the Karni Mata Temple in Deshnok. This is where people worship hundreds of holy rats, descended from the Goddess Karni. She was said to live in the 14th century and to have performed many miracles. When her son drowned she asked the god of death to bring him back to life. When her wish was refused, Karni restored the life of her son and announced that her family members would die no longer but would incarnate in the form of rats. Now there are around 600 families in Deshnok who claim descent from Karni Mata Rats. It is hardly surprising that the temple was rather dirty and full of unhealthy looking, overweight rodents, as pilgrims constantly bring food for them.


I have been in Jaisalmer now for over a week. In comparison to other cities in Rajasthan this place is quiet. People are used to seeing tourists, so it is actually possible to walk down the narrow sandstone-paved streets without being hassled by absolutely everyone or having to move away from speeding motorbikes or auto rickshaws every second. The Jaisalmer Fort, is still occupied by residents which interests my tourist mind as a fantastic mixture of a museum and actual life at the same time. Looking out from the fort into the landscape that people here call the desert at sunset is a magical moment.



I have got to know a few locals here with whom I get on very well. It is an entirely different experience from the continuous moving-on. Which is pretty much what I have done since coming to India.Staying in one place and getting to know people a little better I have began to redefine the concept of religion and it's value to people's lives. It is also very evident that the caste system, although abolished and illegal is still very much present. This manifests itself in gestures, treatment and dealings with one another.


I like India, but meeting other travelers and swapping stories I realised that most miss the uninteresting parts that I have to go through. They often simply take a night bus from one tourist area to another, whilst I have to travel and sometimes sleep in real 5h1tholes with no culture and no manners where people seem to live by the motto "each for themselves". Of course this experience is  applicable to most countries I've been in, including Europe. But India is a big place. Sometimes it is necessary to travel long distances through ugly towns on broken or dusty roads before arriving somewhere interesting and pleasant. On the other hand, there are times (usually unexpected) when I am there and then in the moment with the freedom to choose to stop, stay and enjoy. and then move on again at my leisure.

Now and then I hear the strangest things being said to me which leaves me bewildered for some time. For instance, once a stranger informed me of a grey hair in my beard and offered to pull it out for me... On another occasion I was told by a group of young men that I look cool or that my hair is nice. Which is worrying because this  is coming from people who also think that Justin Beaber is cool (!) as they proudly show me his music video on their phone...

Now I am off to the desert for a few days. I'll be camping by a salt lake around 30kms from Jaisalmer. But will probably return to town again. It is nice here.


Saturday 1 October 2011

Haryana and Himachal Pradesh

Getting out of Delhi was a bit of a challenge. I left early in the morning but due to the serious lack of good maps available and my poor knowledge of the city I somehow kept going in circles. In the end I gave up on going the right way and decided to follow signs to any place outside Delhi that I had on my map. This proved to be a working method and in a few hours I was well and truly out of the chaos of the city.
My first propper stop was Kurukshetra where according to Hindu teachings the universe was created. This was also where Krishna delivered his Bhagavat Gita. My room had a balcony with a view of India's largest water tank , the Bhramasarovar which according to Hindu texts was created by Lord Brahma. Kurukshetra is a place of great historical and religious importance and hence attracts many pilgrims and spiritual people who seemed to be just as interested in me as I was in them.



The following day I took the winding road to Shimla (2205m), trying to avoid cows, dogs and macaques along the way. (successfully). Shimla is nice. In many areas it has a strange European feel due to some English era buildings and the Christ Church clearly visible from most places. But wondering through the busy market and the Jakhu temple, dedicated to the monkey god Hanuman I was easily reminded of where I really am.







The road got worse but steadily more adventurous and exciting with the passing villages and views of the Himalayan foothills, at this point still thickly covered by predominantly coniferous forests.
Unfortunately at around 3000m above sea level the bike started loosing power. The spark plugs were covered in carbon. I knew that the air filter is clean as I cleaned it just before setting off to Himachal Pradesh. The problem was that since Greece I have not been able to find the correct grade oil. I had this problem in Turkey whilst riding up Mount Nemrut.
Miles away from anywhere with a considerable community I resolved to change the spark plugs which improved the situation a little and with some difficulty got up to Nako Lake (3662m) near the border with Tibet. But I knew that I would only have to go down from there on. The bike just did not want to go any higher.
The beautiful village of Nako persuaded me to stay for 3 days. First one of these I spent acclimatising to the altitude, trying out some Tibetan dishes and messing around with the bike. Seeing that the carburetor was clean too, it had to be the oil.
Feeling pretty good and overwhelmed by the beauty around me I spent the next two days on hikes. There are a few Budhist monasteries in the area, some of them quite old, where on my arrival the monks welcomed me with fresh apples that are harvested in the valleys bellow.
I was going to stay there and become a monk, but as they had no internet I realised it would be ages before I could add another fascinating post... so I changed my mind..













Now I am in Chandigarh, the capital of Punjab and Haryana. The bike is happy again, and so am I. A motorcycle mechanic here agrees that it was probably the oil...oh well- low altitude it is then...until I get the right oil at least.