Bodhgaya, India
The foreign feeling is still there. In fact, I was a lost little lamb when I first touched down at Calcutta.
And hence from there is going by the flow with other fellow travellers.
Those been to India before and a few like me - new to India.
Its a different experience altogether. Mostly due to size of the country and each state have its own uniqueness. Its not the same compared to Cambodia, Thailand, Laos or Vietnam.
In those countries, I met travellers heading a common destination after we are done with current one.
India is to big of a country to find likewise travellers.
So I went to Bodhgaya alone boarding the train from Calcutta.
I was not very much sure when I met another Viet-Australian alight off at Gaya.
We were bombarded by loads of rickshaw drivers offering to take us to Bodhgaya - the scared place where Prince Siddhartha Gautama gained enlightenment.
Anyway, at the end of the day, I was scared the shit out brain coz of the 2 touts awaiting for us at Bodhgaya.
Me and Viet guy decided to stick together for the rickshaw to Bodhgaya (yep, no direct train to the holy place). So there we have 2 touts with their bikes waiting for us the early birds on this off peak season for tourist.
Coaxed of a better place to stay compared to our choice, we agreed for them to bring us around the area with an "up to you' fees.
Trust me, I was up front with them to gimme an amount that I am comfortable with, they kept being friendly with the phrase "up to you".
So here's the day tripping pictures before the nightmare began…..
Monkeys scatters along the way to the Dungeshwari Cave. Well, there are also those touts here asking for bak-shi, buy incense or food for the monkeys along the way. Since its off peak season, there wasn't much to dodge though.
Dungeshwari Cave - Siddharta spent years in severe penance until he was finally emaciated and skeletal.
Village houses along the way. My guess is that those are cow/buffalo dungs on the wall of the huts.
Sujata Shrine - This is the place where Sujata offered milk to Siddharta Gautama when he first left the cave.
School Children. Underprivileged - Yes.
However the adults (the teacher and our 'tour guide') got busted exploiting money from tourist (us) by telling us a book for the kids costs 500 Rupees. Viet guy found out when the teacher asked our tour guide the amount to quote when question on the cost of a book for the children.
This was only shared with me by Viet friend when we reached Mahabodhi Temple.
The Legendary Mahabodhi Temple.
You are to remain silent at the vicinity of the temple for some are meditating here.
The moment I found out from Viet guy that these 2 'friends' are exploits, I got so quiet and less exciting at the Mahabodhi temple.
Many thought ran through my mind, especially the 'friendly' "UP TO YOU" fees.
Its like, what if the amount I am offering is not up to what they expect?
What am I to argue? I am in their land. What if they bring a throng of backups to rob us?
I decided to opt out of further trips after the temple and asked my biker to send me back to the guesthouse.
As expected, the amount paid was not of his satisfaction but I don't know what kind of courage got into me to talk sense into him.
I sort of say its both of our fault that we did not agree the amount. Also argued that he said its up to me and that this is all I can afford.
Yes in between, he told me his stories of borrowing the bike from another village and have to fill up petrol tank.
He was speechless when i asked him how much is per litre of petrol here (Thank you Lonely Planet).
Its was some defending argument but I paid my reasonable amount and ran back to my room.
To think of it after that, I got so scared I pushed the table blocking my room door locking myself in the room the rest of the day and the night.
Sadly this is where I have to use those Chlorine Dioxide tablets to cure the water for drinking.
It was so yucky! Never again unless required as such!
I left Bodhgaya immediately the next morning.
Bumped into Viet guy, said hello and bye.
Rushed off to find a rickshaw but more touts from shops outside Mahabodhi Temple came running to me.
I was pissed at this place. I was pissed at the people. I wanna get out of here but not before I was stopped by a Nepali asking me whats wrong etc.
So not wanting to offend anyone anymore, I agreed to talk about it over chai.
It was frustrating to sit and talk what wrong with me and the place when I just wanna get out of there.
So I finished my chai, cut short my story and went back to the train station to get a tix to Varanasi.
Sadly the train was at night so I spend most of the day in the train station fending off flies and wait………….here and there loitering at the station…
Lesson learnt - Never agree to anything priced at "UP TO YOU".
