THE END

Abans d'escriure el llistat de conclusions finals sobre aquest viatge a la Índia, amb el qual don per finalitzat el blog (pel que respecta a la Índia), he de contar breument les dues darreres etapes del viatge.
Després de deixar Darjeeling vaig anar a Siliguri per agafar el tren cap a Varanasi. Vaig partir de Darjeeling dissabte horabaixa i vaig arribar a Varanasi dilluns horabaixa, gràcies a les 18 hores de retard del tren. Però bé, això és la Índia i tot és possible. A Varanasi vaig esser-hi fins el dissabte següent. Em vaig retrobar amb dos companys de viatge - de l'etapa d'Anantapur - i més envant amb més persones que he conegut viatjant. Coincidències o el que sigui, no ho sabria definir. Els dies a Varanasi els vaig ocupar voltant pels carrerons, comprant roba i regals, sopant amb amics, passejant pels ghats, observant gent estranya (n'hi ha molta), mirant com cremen els morts, etc. És un lloc on es respira pau, tranquil.litat i un aire enrarit que t'envolta i t'absorbeix.
Amb els dies comptats vaig anar a Agra a fer-me la foto més turística de la Índia: el Taj Mahal. Apart de ser hiper-turístic i molt car entrar-hi, el Taj Mahal és realment impressionant. Resulta gairebé impossible visitar-ho quan hi ha poca gent (per no dir ningú) perquè sempre està ple: jo vaig esser-hi a les 6 del matí i ja havien 200 persones esperant a l'entrada. Aquesta realment és una visita que puc borrar de la llista: val la pena, sense cap dubte, però no caldrà repetir.
I d'Agra cap a Delhi ja per agafar l'avió de tornada. Entre i entre, algunes compres que van duplicar el pes de la meva motxilla. I fins aquí aquesta vegada a la Índia. Segur que repetiré.
Conclusions finals:
1. Guanya Pepsi
2. A la Índia, tot és possible.
3. Evitar polos a tota costa.
4. Trepitjar una merda de vaca NO és bona sort, és simplement qüestió de temps.
5. NO contestis a la pregunta: "què vols pagar per això?" És una pregunta trampa. Limita't a somriure.
6. "Si senyor/a" + cara de poker = no tenc ni puta idea de què vols. Et portaré el que me sembli bé a mi.
7. Pregunta preferida per establir conversació: "de quin pais? d'on ets?"
8. Homes caminant de la mà NO son necessàriament gais. No pot haver-hi tants.
9. Moure el coll d'esquerra a dreta NO és un exercici pel coll. Si és que SI, ho fan; si és que NO, ho fan; si no saben, ho fan.

Before writing my list of final conclusions about the trip, with which I shall consider the blog (the India trip section) finished, I will briefly talk about the last two stages of the trip.
After leaving Darjeeling I went to Siliguri to take a train to Varanasi. I left Darjeeling on Saturday afternoon and arrived Varanasi on Monday afternoon, courtesy of the 18 hour delay on the train. But this is India, and everything is possible. I stayed in Varanasi until the following Saturday. I met with two friends from the days in Anantapur and later on with other people that I'd met at different stages. Coincidences or whatever, hard to define. My days in Varanasi were spent walking around the narrow streets, purchasing clothes and presents, lunching and dining with friends, strolling up and down the ghats, people watching, observing the cremations, etc. It's a place of peace and calm; it has a strange atmosphere that surrounds you and absorbs you.
With the days numbered I headed to Agra to take the most typical tourist photo in India: the Taj Mahal. Apart from being hyper-touristy and very expensive, the Taj Mahal is certainly impressive. It's virtually impossible to see it with few people, as it's always full: I was there at 6am and there were about 200 other people in front of me waiting. This is one of those visits that can be ticked off the list: absolutely worth going, no question about it, but no need to see it again.
And from Agra to Delhi to take the plane back home. In the process I did some shopping that doubled the weight of my now-torn backpack. And so this is all that I could manage this time in India. I'm sure there'll be a next time.

Conclusions:
1. Pepsi wins.
2. In India, everything is possible.
3. Avoid ice-lollies, at all cost.
4. Stepping on cow-shit is NOT good luck, it's just a question of time.
5. Do NOT answer the question: "how much do you want to pay?" It's a trick question...just smile.
6. "Yes sir/madam" + puzzled face = I have NO clue what you want. So I'll bring whatever I want.
7. Favourite ice-breaker: "which country? you're from?"
8. Pairs of men holding hands and NOT necessarily gay. There just can't be that many.
9. Wobbling of the head from left to right is NOT some kind of neck exercise. If the answer is YES, they do it; if the answer is NO, they do it; if they DON'T know, they do it.

Darjeeling

Arribar a Darjeeling no es cosa facil. 12 hores en tren de Kolkatta, rickshaw de 30min a Siliguri i jeep de 3 hores a Darjeeling. Pero avui hi ha vaga i toca agafar bus de 5 hores a Darjeeling. Mel. A mes ens toca seure al darrera de tot on es noten mes els bots (i no n'hi ha pocs, no). Arribam l'horabaixa i ablanits. Toca relax.
La meva idea era anar a fer una mica de trekkin, pero tot d'una veig que no sera possible: no tenc sabates, ni calcons, ni forro, ni sac, ni temps, ni res de res. Aqui fa fresqueta: tot el dia amb calcons llargs, calcetins i una jaqueta. Aixi i tot, en 4 dies he fet 2 excursionetes (per la zona), he vist el 3er cim del mon i casi veig la coronacio d'un lama budista (si m'hagues despert d'hora). Podria ser pitjor. Darjeeling no es el que m'esperava: no es un poblet de muntanya. Tot i ser brut i tenir problemes d'aigua i de vagues, es un lloc placid amb gent molt amable. A mes les dones son molt guapes, en general, i alegren la vista. Podria ser pitjor. Em qued amb les ganes d'anar a Sikkim i fer trekkin. La propera vegada.

Getting to Darjeeling is not an easy task. 12 hours by train from Kolkatta, 30min rickshaw to Siliguri and 3 hours by jeep to Darjeeling. But today there is a strike and it's a 5 hour bus ride to Siliguri. Sweet. Even worse: we have to sit right at the back of the bus, where the road potholes are more felt (and it's not just a few, nope). We get there in the evening, battered. It's relaxing time.
My idea was to do some trekking, but I can see already that it's not going to happen: no shoes, no trousers, no fleece, no sleeping bag, no time...absolutely nothing. It's fairly cool here: walking around all day with trousers, socks and a jacket on. All in all, in 4 days I've taken 2 short treks/walks (around the area), I've seen the world's 3rd largest peak (just) and I almost attended the coronation of a buddhist lama (if only I'd gotten up early enough). Could be worse. Darjeeling is not what I expected: not a small mountain town. Despite being dirty and having serious water shortages and problems with strikes, it's a placid place with very nice people. And the women are extremely beautiful, in general...nice to look at. Could be worse. I would have liked to go to Sikkim and trek. Next time.

Kolkatta

Arrib a Kolkatta i el 1er obstacle es que es festa; es Holi, festival hindu del color. Festa = taxi car. No passa res. 2on obstacle es que la recepcio a molts hotels esta tancada. No passa res. Trob una oberta i em fic a un dormitori amb 5 altres persones, de colonies. Problemes resolts i vaig a veure que es aixo de Holi. Resultat: cara, mans, bracos, roba...ple de color (putada que costa molt esforc llevar-s'ho). Holi es el bon rotllo indio: gent pel carrer pintant-se l'un a l'altre, ballant i, curiosament, algun borratxin indio (dels primers que veig).

Kolkatta despren un aire de majestuositat. Conserva gran part dels edificis grandiosos de l'epoca colonial (en estat de conservacio millorable, clar) i aixo, juntament amb grans carrers amples i el riu, es mescla per crear un ambient relaxat i cosmopolita. Tot i ser una ciutat amb turistes i molts voluntaris estrangers, Kolkatta es tot tranquil.litat i l'agressivitat d'altres llocs (comerciants, rickshaws, etc.) no esta present aqui.

Despres d'un dia ple de visites turistiques (Victoria memorial, Kalighats, Howrah bridge, Park street, etc.) amb nova companyia de viatge, em vaig permetre un massatge shiatzu (de fet gratuit) gracies a Keti, companya d'habitacio al Paragon (les colonies). Tot un luxe. Mans d'angel. El problema d'anar de colonies es que alguns nins et lleven coses. I a mi em van llevar les 5fingers. Li vaig dir al monitor, pero no va poder fer res. Una pena. Per superar la decepcio: un altra sessio de shiatzu (em vaig relaxar tant que em vaig adormir). I aixi, amb visites i caminades entre massatge i massatge, ha arribat dilluns i l'hora de partir cap a les muntanyes: a Darjeeling.

I get to Kolkatta and the 1st obstacle in the course is that it's a holiday (bad planning); it's Holi, Hindu festival of colour. Taxi = more expensive. Not a problem. The 2nd obstacle is that many hotel's reception desks are closed. Not a problem. I find one that is open and I chek into a dorm room with 5 other people, summer camp. Problems solved and I head out to check this Holi thing out. Result: face, hands, arms, clothes...full of colour (damn hard to wash off too). Holi is the indian-way good vibes: people on the streets painting each other, dancing and, funny enough, some drunk locals (first I've seen).
Kolkatta has an air of majesticness. It still has many of the grand colonial buildings (could be better in condition, of course) and this, together with wide paved streets and the river, combines together in creating a relaxed and cosmopolitan atmosphere. Despite the many tourists and volunteers from around the world, Kolkatta is all peacefulness and the agressive nature of other tourist spots (shopkeepers, rickshaws, etc.) is not so here.
After a day full of tourist visits (Victoria memorial, Kalighats, Howrah bridge, Park street, etc.) with new travel company, I allowed myself a shiatzu massage (actually for free) courtesy of Keti, roommate at the Paragon (summer camp). A real treat. Hands of an angel. The problem with summer camp is that other kids take your stuff. In my case, someone took my 5fingers sandals. I told the instructor about it, but nothing could be done. A real shame. To get over it: another session of shiatzu (fell asleep, it was so relaxing). And with this, going places and walking in between massage and massage, Monday has come and so too the time to head to the mountains: to Darjeeling.

Ciberabad

Crec que m'he aburrit a mi mateix escrivint l'entrada anterior del blog. No vull ni imaginar lo aburrit que deu haver estat llegir-la (dubt que ningu l'hagi llegida sencera). Per aixo mateix passam de blog-opinio a blog-enumeracio (menys quan calgui).

Despres de la decepcio de Putthaparti vaig fer una aturada tecnica a Anantapur per recollir la motxilla i vaig agafar el tren cap el nord: a Hyderabad. Tretze hores de viatge i ja era a un dels centres musulmans del pais. Hyderabad es, en realitat, una cuitat mes de la India. No te l'encant de Mumbai ni la magnificencia de Kolkatta. Te molt de transit, molta contaminacio, molta brutor, molta gent, molta calor i poques vaques. El que si que te es gent molt amable i hospitalaria, quan no et volen vendre res. Apart d'aixo: el barri arab amb una de les mesquites mes grans del mon (Mecca Masjid) i els bazaars tipics on es troba de tot, l'estatua de Buddha en peu mes gran del mon (al mig d'un llac); son les atracctions principals a Hyderabad. En 3 dies no he vist cap altre turista al carrer: novedos. Al tercer dia he agafat un vol (fent trampes, si) cap a Kolkatta.

I think I bored myself writing the last blog entry. I don't want to imagine how boring it must have been to read it (doubt anyone did, at least in full). Hence the blog will now be a list of what I've done, more or less.

After the big disappointment of Putthaparti I made a technical stop in Anantapur to collect my backpack and took the train heading north: to Hyderabad. Thirteen hours later and I was in one of the major Muslim centres of the country. Hyderabad is, simply, another city in India.It doesn't have the charm of Mumbai or the grandiosity of Kolkatta. It has a lot of traffic, lots of pollution, lots of dirt, lots of heat and few cows. What it does have is very helpful and hospitable people, when they are not trying to sell you something. Other than that: the muslim quarters with Mecca Masjid (one of the largest mosques in the world) and the traditional bazaars where anything can be bought, the standing Buddha statue, the largest in the world (in the middle of a lake); they are the main attractions of Hyderabad. In 3 days I saw no other tourist on the street: novel. The third day I took a flight (slight cheat, I know) to Kolkatta.