Udaipur

I don't even know what day it is.

I'm on the rooftop café of the hotel,  I just had an Indian breakfast which consisted of small bowl of pickled vegetables some bread and some yogurt. And a cup of coffee so I'm likely to get the shits later but it's part of the experience.

The heat is getting to me but it's really amazing just to sit here on the top of the hotel and watch the birds fly by and hear the music in the streets.

Downstairs in the street there's yelling there's the constant drone of motorbikes and what they call autorickshaw's or tuk-tuks, just everything. Everything all at once. When the city gets up it's up and you better be up with it. So I'm just hanging out today I booked my plane for tomorrow. I'm making a big move and I'm expecting, well I expected it to be a lot different but I really don't know what to expect anymore.

I kind of stumble around and the more things that I find the more  I'm just amazed. The colors the art. Udaipur had a history of art and you can see it on the city. My hotel has hand painted trimming everywhere. It's fantastic.

it's it's really a lot of what I was expecting India to be like but not really is not really everything that I expected so am I'm just opened everything and seeing how things can unfold in front of me so I am finish up here and then head out to the city.

later

Holi

49

Left the hotel late. I wanted to see the red fort and the museum of modern art. So far I've been stumbling along. 

Yesterday started holi. I haven't seen the spontaneous color bombs in action but I did see a few people with greens and reds on their faces. Hotel guy says holi doesn't really go until the 17th. I'm a little bummed but these things usually work out.

Metro to the red fort. Walking around the station I found a small temple. Along the wall was a rod with some brass bells. I could hear the bells clanging every so often and I found them. 

Some men bowed rang a bell and turned around a few times. Some men rang two or three bells bowed and left. 

I like the sound of a bell.

I put a few rupees in a box and with one finger a clanged the bell on the furthest left. 

Once. 

It sounded clear and clean. Brass makes that noise. 

And it was gone.

I got lost but my fucking phone got me turned right. 

In the street was a dog. 

This place is flooded with dogs but this one was in the street pissing. Not with one leg up but stretched out, front and back legs extended out and his back hips pushed downward, WOW

I was mesmerized. By the time I thought to get a picture he was done and gone. Fuck...

Red fort was beautiful. Did a drawing. It was getting late. I get paranoid on travel days. I may have put too much on the agenda. 

Metro and walk to the museum. 

The museum had an exhibit by an Indian artist...,,subodh Gupta 

Chromed sculptures and some put together found pieces.

One of the sculptures had a caption, "You can't finish all your work in one lifetime."

Sometimes you come across nuggets when you need them.

Tuk Tuk ride to the metro station and back to the hotel. Shower and scrape and check out.

Another Tuk Tuk ride to the train station. Hotel guy says the ride will cost 100rp. My driver says the meter is broken. 200.

Bfd. We go.

Half way to the station we stop. There is traffic but the man on the car in front of us is bandaged up and my driver asks some questions then gets out and starts pushing the car.

Nothing much is happening ...

So fuck it.., it's my birthday, I get out and start pushing too. 

They get to the side and my driver and I look at each other. 

We are good people...

A little ways further driver pulls to the side and puts on some kind of uniform top. He smiled at me and said something. I don't think it was English but we are bonding over the course of this ride. 

Then it's over. 

I'm 49.

Next stop Jaipur ...

The chickpea is your friend

I'm still beat but I had more of an India day than I've had than any other day that I had more. Three meals of Indian food.  My head started to hurt. I don't know if there's something in it or whatever but I decided rather than layoff the local food I'd go deeper in the pool. 

I went to recommended restaurant from lonely planet and it was fantastic. Chann masala a spicy chickpea stew. Fucking great. Sat next to a couple planning on going from here to soviet Georgia. Pretty awesome. I listened while I stuffed my face. 

I was feeling better today. I went to the train station by my train ticket for tomorrow. The morning train was booked so I will end up and Jaipur in at 10:00 PM. Finding a hotel that late will be a little it work it'll get done. It always does. 

Buying that the train ticket I had to wait for about 45 minutes just to get seen by an agent, I made my way to an older Indian man to help me out. He made the arrangements, printed the ticket. The train ticket was 430 so I handed him a 500 rupee bill.

He paused said something in Indian and just kind of looked at me. I looked back at him and I wasn't moving so he went to return to his friend and asked for change the friend handed him 70 rupees. He handed me me a 50 with the 20 laying in front of him. 

And we look at each other.

I know that look man but I was going to see that 20. So I left. 20rp is about $.30 not a big loss but the tone that it was done. 

very unusual was that.

Then came back to the hotel laid down for little bit and went to dinner. 

I didn't do much today other than buy my ticket and walk around and come and get a better idea about this place. it's crazy there's a lot of stuff to to buy but it's all crap and I've got enough.

so I think I'm in for the night and more later. 

Paharganj

So change hotels yesterday. I get on the subway and one subway stop away it's a completely different world.  Hundreds  of people in the street. Cars, buses, bicycles, rickshaws... everything in the street but no one touching. No one bumping. No one even yelling. Everyone knows what to do and they just keep doing it, 

I go down the street and I take the right turn onto the the main bazaar road and it's just like I thought it would be. The road, or what used to be a road now is broken down asphalt and the noises get louder.  The path gets tighter and we are packed in but no one still no one touches anyone. 

I did get the student where a younger person will come up to you,  tries to be helpful. Saying he is trying to help you get to where you want to go you to go and you get funneled into a travel agency. This douche wants to sell you a trip for a bus ride or whatever. 

This hasn't happened for a while but I got out of there unscathed and got on the subway. 

I never get that still there people lying in the street there are dogs everywhere every few feet him but it works everyone is there and everyone is just doing it just getting by finally get to my hotel.

I never get that still there people lying in the street there are dogs everywhere every few feet him but it works everyone is there and everyone is just doing it just getting by finally get to my hotel. 

The room is okay.  Ive stayed in a lot worse but it is definitely much different than the last place is loud I am locked in at night and locked up during the day their constant warnings about pickpockets. Even outside the door of the hotel a man insists we are friends is trying to help me find a restaurant or go for a drink. 

My guard is up for every jackass trying to put me in a popcorn machine but I'm also hypersensitive to what is going on. The children going to school, every beggar and every dog laying in the street. The smell of cooked rice, or piss, or flowers and always over it the noise. 

I slept last night, twenty feet from car horns and people buzzing underneath my window. 

It was great. 

Walk

Fuck.

I started the day with breakfast at the hotel. I spent all day yesterday asleep, so I was ready for today.  Prepared to be out all day. Just two blocks from the hotel. whatever I saw monkeys in the street. 

The smell of shit and piss  everywhere.

Car horns always around. Street traffic surging in the street. 

This is really what I was looking for.

It smells like piss and shit. You could see people had shit on the walls and in the corners of where were they could find a spot. 

I just made my way through the city. I didn't get hassled. I've been mixing in pretty well. I've been asked for directions twice. 

I got all the way out to the India gate and one of the archaeological sites. I walked until my feet hurt and then when they hurt too much then I started walking back to the hotel.  

it's been good it's been good so far. it's hot. I'm sweating. I can't believe everyman that I see on the street has an undershirt on and most of they have sweaters on. it's 80 fucking degrees out here. One guy had on a down jacket. Wtf.

I'm going out tonight to pick up some more stuff and see more the city see what it's like.

More later.

3am

I was wildly optimistic.

Come back to the hotel. Had high tea (utterly pointless) and laid down for a nap,

Nine hours later, here I am.

The sun is deceptive. I could feel it on me but didn't feel how much it takes until I hit the shade and when I hit the bed, game over. 

Now I know my adversary I will plan Better. 

Changing hotels. See a new part of the city. 

Later. 

Getting a ride to the hotel. 2 am

http://youtu.be/wagdJIXsL9Q