Before I left the US, I had the grandiose idea of making a travel blog. I bought a small net book to burden me throughout my trip, a luxury I usual forgo when backpacking. I even went so far as to make bold claims across Facebook, "check out my blog!!" Well, ha ha jokes on you, and me for that matter...Turns out having a computer and wifi makes it terribly easy to escape into a new TV series or movie after a long day of exploring a new city. To stay up late in the common room of the dorm so you don't have to lie cramped in your rock hard bed trying not to disturb the other people with flickering blue and white lights of your screen. These are the things I have done instead of writing about these wonderful places I have had the privilege to visit.
Yesterday, I rented a scooter and navigated my way through the hair-raising traffic of the city to a quite country road the ancient Sun Temple. That is when I wished I could make a movie and show it to everyone I knew. The exact moment that my scooter weaved its way through a malingering herd of cows under a canopy of bright green trees that seemed to go on forever. So, what is this realization you ask? Easy, a blog does not need to be delivered is hermetically sealed packages including pictures, quotes and annotations. I can just write. Since, I am still in the midst of my travels then I will continue on. Although, don't be surprised if there is a sudden shift away from my current locale.
Puri, India is on the east coast on the Bay of Bengal. Finally, the ocean! I haven't seen the ocean in over a month. Instantly, I took a liking to the place, just for the sheer contrast of its clime to Kolkata. So when I found out I could rent a scooter and go up the coast I jumped at the chance. Unaware that they only give you enough petrol for the first few kilometers, I began my journey by running out of gas on an empty country road. Pushing the bike along the road someone stopped to help me then a few other people. A stranded foreigner being a point of interest. Needless to say after much dicussion they agreed that I was out of gas. I hitched a ride to a station and bought 3 liters of petrol. When I offered to pay them for their troubles, they graciously said no. But, they insisted that I call them and arrange tours with them the following day. Be that as it may I am leaving today so no luck for them. Unfortunately, all I can give them is my gratitude in my unfrequented blog.
Shaking off the frustrating bump the road, I began my journey anew. Further down the road, the landscape was all sandy browns and rusty reds, spotted with green trees and gnarled shrubbery. I shot my way down the road at a blazing 60km/hr (about 36m/hr), dodging stubborn cattle, slower moving bikes and monkeys springing across the road at odd intervals. The are was cool and salty, hinting of the ocean beyond the dunes. I hadn't felt so relaxed in weeks. That is when I saw the first temple in the distance, standing along in a spiral tower swirling to to the sky painted like the twisting board of Candy Land. Speckled in bright blues, pinks, purples and greens, complete with colorful lions guarding the entrance. These multicolored apparitions would wave past me as I made for my destination, The Sun Temple.
Upon arriving at the Sun Temple, I had to dodge a small crowd of street vendors assuring them that, "I don't need a statue or a necklace or a postcard..." The temple stood before me ancient and welcoming. Its brown weathered stones standing with a crumbling strength before me. This is not an unfamiliar sight, to be honest my mind immediately compared it to on of the temples in Angkor Watt. I have seen similar architecture in Indonesia as well,but that made it all the more compelling. There is much of this interconnectedness throughout Asia and is never ceases to surprise me. This temple in particular is famous for its sexual carving all around the facade, in addition to the giant wheels on the side that made it like a chariot, with horse statues in the front pulling the chariot into the heavens.
It is with these thoughts my head that I returned to Puri swinging by the train station to attempt to buy a ticket to Chennai. The problem being, that in line people crowd you to point you cannot get into your bag for your form or passport. It took about 5 minutes to get my ticket situated and the entire time I was squished in the window by the 8 people behind me. I am used to this by now, but every once in a while it gets to me. When I was finally done I spun around ticket, money and passport in hand, having been shoved out of line. There was a little girl barefoot in a dirty red dress tugging at my arm begging for money. She hadn't been the first that day, hour, even in the last 15 minutes. My hands full, I muttered,"No..." under my breath and spun around with my back to her frantically pushing my money and documents in to my overfull day bag. She came around to face me again as I fumbled and moved toward the exist, pulling at my arm she kept saying "money, money, you give." I said, "No, sorry please go." I moved faster trying to keep her behind me. The station was crowded and I had been warned of pick pockets. At this point, I just wanted to get out of there...she kept poking at me and I kept moving faster. Then I reached my scooter and sped away. That is when I started to feel bad, thinking of what I looked like to the other people at the station, spinning and practically running away from a beggar. Just a note in my defense I am usually calm and collected and have no such reactions when people ask me for money. Suffice to say we all lose are cool sometimes.
This a good illustration about a typical day of traveling for me. I succeed, blunder and vacillate between amazement and frustration. But, the difficulties and slip-ups are what smooth out the rough edges of my experiences. I hope that upon reflection I can become a better person.
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