Window to rhythm of India :: Busride

Tuesday, 13.07 BUS from McLeod Ganj to Manali

A day after Vipassana I finally take the bus away from here. Its time to go.
For an instance i was considering to participate in an intensive course "introduction to Buddhism" (with Basics, Tradition, Knowledge, Meditation...) But one was already going on and i did not wanted to wait 11 days for the next one...thus good bye Mcleod...



I woke up early (5.20am) to get the first bus. Well, after conditioning of 10 days I easily woke up (Vipassana the GONG yelled at 4.00am!!!)



I had 3 Chais and a bread before leaving...
This bus trip was so colorful, so exciting, so inside view of Indian daily life...look at the streets and around them...and u pretty much are contemplateing the stage/theater of Indian life...



Sitting next to the window... a firework of cognitive senses...
fresh air on dancing on my skin...
landscape
colorful dressed people
strong body language
mimic and gesticulation
young in scholl dress...
old hard working....sitting and drinking chai...reading newspaper....chatting...

From busdrive

incidences which made this trip even more SPECIAL:
BEGGING
a break in a town... kids come into the bus...hand me
(-surprise one out of 4 western travelers)
a -obviously often used - piece of paper...
written in hindi and english....about a women who became tragically widow...
in my opinion, compassion is good in life in balance, considered...NOT BLIND...
it seemed to me this is organized begging...(obviously)
thus i bought 2 instead one piece of coconut...and gave one to the girl..she looked irritated but took it...
//did u know if u really donate money u give ever time 1 Rupie additional to the amount..e.g.: 51, 101Rs...."1 Rs is for the gods"

DRUGS
I was adoring the scenario outside the bus...a man, first sitting on the other side of the last raw..suddenly next to me...he started to "biuld a joint" next to me...
the more he tried to let it seem like without any intention the more it was obvious...- well, in bollywood he would not even be allowed to clean the set - that bad actor he was - anyway...so i did not pay attention...he was patience... but after while he gave up...tried one again shaking his head in original Indian style :) :) :) and talked something in hindi to the money collector of the bus (-2 guys are the staff of the bus, conductor and money collector)...and went away...

Cheating
at 6.30 i gave the guy from the bus 500 rupie note to pay the 290Rs...he excused him to do not have any change.. at the break at 10.00 i asked him with a smile, "didn't you forget something, maybe you ll have change now" :) //after more than 40 clients//
he talked something in hindi to the other bus drivers...and asked me again, "miiister u gave me pifehuntred (500), yes.. he handed me the money in...

communication

another break about 11am, i was sitting on a step of the bus station observing/contemplateing the moment...by eating my sweet mango...
i took pics form a man repairing with big effort a broken wheel...
the people around started to comment this scenery in hindi, the man started to smile...i went to him...started to chat...he showed him the pics...i smiled even more...
he told me he is 57, and all his life he is conducting buses...it was a gathering of few minutes...but a impression of sympathies kept in my mind...this i as important aspect for me by traveling DISCOVERING

broken wheel
1p.m suddenly a "bum" and a surrounding "pfffffffff"....jup...the wheel, tube is broken...we went 10 more minutes further to the next town... i was assuming, well, it will take some time to fix it...enough to order food...well, i was writing in my book when i thought, maybe i ll have a look of the progress of the work...wow, the other wheel was already fixed and prepared to continue the ride...i excused the guy in the street "restaurant" but anyway, he did not started to cook anyway...

on the market
short break, 4pm, i ordered typical street food (smossa, allu, chai) we where chatting... they liked to watch me eating like an indian...

hello my friiiiend, can i take piiiicture?
I young guy dared after hours of sitting in front of me...to start to chat...
after he agreed that austria and australia quiet different and not the same country he started to record our conversation with his cam...like an interview... :)
he is form manali, but studies in the south of india in Bangalore, - guess- jep, software engineering...i asked him for some hints to visit in this region...
he wrote in my book...a place...and beneath that: - (amit) " you are a nice guy"... i was kinda irritated but kept smiling and putting the attention to the recommended place to visit...


breathtaking street located high up a valley, river calmed by a dam...every curve was a adventure...pushing the horn to claim it for us...suddenly a cow!!! appeared middle of the street...no problem...hard breaking, by-pass the its holiness and accelerate again...

after 12 days...malte welcomed me warmly...i was happy to see him again...he had a lot to tell...