So I got to Lumbini ok. As always here, nothing happens as planned. I arrived at 8, instead of 4-5, after many stops, a dramatic moment when the bus was trying to go in between a truck and a bus which had had an accident together, rumors of a general strike which would have make me walk some kilometers until reaching Lumbini under the rain, rumors that proved to be false, etc. One point though that is for sure: I will never again travel with 30 kgs of books. NEVER. Especially in this warm and damp weather. I totally destroyed the suitcase I bought since the weight is too much for it: it was like a funny movie because each step of the trip I was loosing one more element.
After Lumbini, the rest of the trip until Pune was not all fun. At least I will remember it. Gorakhpur, as the last time, was scary and dirty (I was given the option of ordering some girls - and yes, I said no, just because I am a very moral person). The train ride of 30 hours was actually not so bad - food all the time, listening to some music, reading, it actually went faster than what I expected. But then the people on the train that said would help me for going to Pune disappeared or even left me arguing with the cab drivers once the argument they started lasted, and I ended up paying huge amount of money to the cab driver who, in addition, rob me of 800 rupees by making me believe that I gave him 100 rupees when I gave an actual 500 rupees note (he has some prospect in the magic business I think). I finally arrived in Pune, of course, after more adventures with the taxi-riksha, of which the last one paid for all of them when I shouted at him that was all the money he would get for me. This is the sad part of India, this feeling that I have that I am just a "money pomp" as we say in French, just someone with money ready to get milked. I did not have such a strong feeling in Nepal.
But now everything is better thanks to the warm welcome of my friend Tashi. He said he would book me a room, but since the hotels and guest rooms are too expensive, he thought I could stay with him. So I am experiencing the student life in Pune University, with its small rooms, its dirty bathrooms, and its cheap meals. This is actually a nice experience - the best being the rides on the motorcycle all around campus and in the city. A French guy, behind a monk from Ladakh on a great bike, you can imagine the scene.
TOmorrow morning we already leave for Aurangabad to get to the Ajanta and Ellora caves, and we will stay there 2 days. THat should really prove wonderful - at least I'll have no luggage.
Je suis donc arrivé à Lumbini presque sans aucun problème. Je passe les nombreux stops, l’accident de bus et de camion qui bloquait la route, les ordres et contre-ordres de grève générale qui tenaient les passagers dans la peur de terminer leur voyage à pied (et sous la pluie, tant qu’à faire). Bref, au lieu de 4-5h, je suis arrivé à 8h, ce qui n’est pas trop mal. Grâce aux coups de fil de Khenpo Jorden, le responsable ici m’a emmené sur son scooter (qu’est-ce que j’aurais fait du scooter au Népal !) me faire visiter les alentours, et notamment le lieu même où selon la tradition le Bouddha serait né.
En tous les cas, je sais que jamais plus je ne voyagerais avec 30 kgs de bouquins, et surtout dans l’air chaud et moite de l’Inde. J’ai déjà totalement detruit ma valise, elle n’a pas supporté le poids. Bref, je me suis bien marré pendant les 3 jours de voyage. Au moins ça me fera des souvenirs.
Gorakhpur s’est révélé aussi effrayant et sale que la première fois (on m’a même proposé des filles – et non, je n’ai pas accepté), puis le reste fut stressant car je me demandais toujours comment on allait me rouler davantage dans la farine. Il faut faire attention à tout. Par exemple, a Mumbai, le taxi a réussi à me faire croire que je lui avais donné 2 billets de 200 rupies, alors que je lui avais donné 2 billets de 500. Il a gagné 800 rupies ce jour-là, et je pense qu’il devrait se lancer dans la magie.
Après des aventures supplémentaires de Riksha et taxi, je suis arrivé enfin à Pune, et tout va mieux grâce au sourire réconfortant de mon ami Tashi. Comme les hôtels et guest des alentours étaient trop chers, il ne m’a pas réservé de chambre et a pensé me loger. J’expérimente donc la vie étudiante indienne, et c’est assez rustique, avec ses petites chambres, ses toilettes sales, ses cantines. Demain matin tôt, nous partons pour Aurangabad pour gagner les grottes d’Ajanta et d’Ellora. Cela devrait être vraiment pas mal. On y reste 2 jours.
