2011.01.03: Three Nights And Two Days

Would it be the spectacular finish of our journey or an end long overdue? Before going our separate ways my sister and I would meet for one last time and spend a last three nights and two days in Darjeeling. We met in Bodhgaya, to take the train towards somewhere nearby our final destination. The evening before departure we tried to remember the last time we had spend three weeks together, as intensely as we just had done. If ever, it must’ve been at least twelve years ago, in my case roughly half a life away. Never before had we been able to study so precisely how our behaviour changed when being together. We concluded that the moments we had shared in the past weeks were truly unique.

2010.12.30: Towards Enlightenment

So it came to be that the prince sat underneath that very tree for forty-nine days and became Buddha. Today an offspring of the offspring of that very tree marks that spot in Bodhgaya, Bihar. Its beauty accentuated by the surrounding temple complex: The Mahabodhi Temple. The main building has a history chronicling back many centuries. Recently, Buddhists from Buddhist countries have constructed their own temples in its vicinity. All are lushly decorated with bright colors, rich ornaments, and green gardens; they sooth my eye and leave me impressed. However, they disturb me too; here in Bihar — one of the poorest states of India — their grandeur feels out of place. Poverty is staring at me through the large eyes of two naked children, playing in a pile of garbage next to a temple.

2010.12.28: A Heart To Give

There are wonderful things one could write about the old part of Varanasi. It’s a labyrinth of small alleys and full of shops selling all kinds of exciting exotica. Behind every corner new surprises patiently await discovery. There are many houses of worship; most shrines are of a staggering beauty. Even so, it’s only a matter of time before your eyes start to gaze upwards, where attractive old facades are waiting to please your sense of beauty. Some have magnificent colored ornaments and in between the residences a few trees have managed to grow in most unimaginable ways.

2010.12.25: X-mas Party

What I haven’t mentioned yet is we stayed at friends of my sister in Delhi. They’re a couple and both active in the hospitality industry. Every morning we received the most delicious chai and throughout the day we were spoiled with marvelous Indian food. For one week we were in nirvana. Oke, it was a nirvana where I managed to electrocute myself when intending to shower, but still, it was a week worthwhile remembering. In Delhi my sister and I did things on our own and her friends showed us a little around. Amongst others we celebrated one night out in one of the hottest places in town. And it wasn’t just any night, it was Christmas Eve. We attended an elusive X-mas party.

2010.12.23: Walking In Circles

Whenever I pass a pond I want to throw a stone in it. The collision with the water is wonderful. The waves emerging afterwards have something destructive and spiritual about them. A while ago someone, who probably shared my feelings about ponds and stones, passed by Delhi and threw Connaught Place in it. Connaught Place is an inheritance of British Colonialism and now a metro station with a park on top. Around it is a large roundabout; the first circular wave on which cars surf. In between the next ones is a shopping extravaganza. The waves run furthest down south, along luxury hotels, exclusive apartments, important offices and more shops. The last days I’ve spend many hours exploring this pond. I was seduced by its debaucheries.

2010.12.19: Where Winter Wives Wither

About one million soldiers and six million native inhabitants live within Kashmir’s borders. It’s therefore not surprising that the military presence is overwhelming. To say the Hindu soldiers and Muslim civilians live together peacefully wouldn’t be an overstatement; it would be a misunderstanding. In the past months alone they’ve exchanged stones and bullets at such a rate that over a hundred people have died in Srinagar alone.

2010.12.18: Laughing At Death

Only somewhere halfway my ride from Patnitop to Srinagar I started to really pay attention to awkward signs along the road. A little bit later I made a few pictures.

2010.12.18: Heavenly If Not Divine. Really?

A man offered my sister and I a ride to Srinagar. You might think this was out of generosity, but we were invited because we had to save his life. He told us he was very tired and wanted to see his wife and children as soon as possible; essentially, two things could happen, either he would fall asleep behind steering wheel, or he would drive too fast and crash into a car and/or the bottom of a ravine. Our presence was required to prevent this. Why did we enter his vehicle? Again, there were two reasons. First of all, he only told us about our purpose once we were driving and secondly, Kashmiri have a great sense of humor.