Majaraha's lifestyle

Compared with Majaraha's lifestyle, Western Kings were a simple middle class burgueses. I have visited many palaces in the world: Alhambra in Granada, Versalles, Windsor Castle, Winter Palace in Saint Petersburg, Kremlin and some others, but nothing like the Majarahas of India. Marble and red granite recepcion hall able to held 3000 invitees; 10 m. high crystal doomed ballroom with blue lotus columns around; wooden, silver and golden carved doors; forniture from France; 30 m. galleries with big wall mirrors from England; lamps from Venice transported crystal by crystal and assambled here. Ivory. Diamons and golden thrones. Pearls. Esmeraldas and gems that use for weigth like vegetables. Backyards and stables for armies of elephants, pureblood horses, camels and buffalos. Private game reserves as big as Belgium. 5 stories temples. Pavillions. Thousands of servants, secretaries, assistants and guards. Inmaculate harems and whatever the word luxury could mean. And all that coming from the work of their millions of vassals working on their lands delivering 3/4 of the harvest in exhange of the protection?? of his Lord and just to keep a house of mud and the small amount of rice for living. An old Asian injustice.

Umbrella boats

The question is: what was first, umbrellas or umbrella boat? For generations the people of Northern Karnataka has been crossing currents, rives and lakes with this simple but resistant boats. So simple like to put an umbrella upsidedown and then, row. Chasis made of branches and palms of raffia, crossed one upon the other and bounded in a circle way. Then they add the strong skin of buffalo atthe botton, tied it up.. et "le voila" a boat.. Genial... able to support 20 or more people, a cow or even motobykes... and probably to cross seas...

About sadhus

One can find them in the most unexpected places searching the glimpse of God (darsham) They travel all around India, from fountains of Bramanphutra River in the heart of Himalayas to deserts of Gujarat till one day they find their place. And then, they stay for years and years. In a cave. In a cliff of a Sacred Mountain. In the entrance of a temple. In the outskirts of a city. Sleeping under the stars. Eating just a simple pocketful of rice daily. Drinking a sip of water, and smokin ganja non stop. But the wisest, those, you will never see.

Hampi. Northern Karnataka

After a crazy bus driven night we arrived Hampi safe and sound, just by a miracle. Capital of an very Old Impire called VaravajaIdonotknowhat built up by dravidics, hindu, mugols or whatever civilization, because there were some many cultures coming to India in old times that one get confused, Hampi is a surprising and Sacred City plenty of ruins, and a huge fortress well preserved which cover an area of almost 30 km2. Of course you can only visit a few animated temples full of monkeys and hindu pilgrims that are blessed by an elephant just with a touch of her trunk. Is a nice animal

Paulo Travels? No, thank you

Luxury coaches?????... ja, ja, ja, ja. Better say, shity coaches that seems to fall in pieces apart. Dusty. Nasty. Crazy drivers running to fast through the nigth and treating passangers like cattle. People miscontented bumping on their broken seats and beds. Some hurts. Paulo trevels. Never agian.

Laurence

The first thing you feel when you meet her is admiration. The second is you feel small and a little ashamed, so high is her moral size and integrity. Working 12 hours a day (including many sundays) for nothing in exchange. Suffering malaria (twice) and the extreme conditions of the Gujarat desert all year round. Living in basic conditions at home. And all that just to see the smile of her Gujaratians disable kids. Do you know what I imagine? I imagine, one day in a far future, an European VIP coming to India to honour her. To tell her that Europe is proud to have citizens like she. And about me, the only thing I can say is I am pround to know her. And to love her.

(This text has been written without her permission and against her will. But sorry, someone has to do it)

The full moon of Goa

Thick and green tropical forest. Porcelan blue blue sky. Wide quiet rivers with fishermen at work. Long white sandy beaches. Wooden huts. Colourfull dressed women carrying baskets on their heads. Marine breeze. Huge scarlat and violet buganvillias plants. Bright flowers all over. Plenty and bigs coconuts, mango, bananiers, tamarindos and laurel trees. Time slows. Hours disappears. Days go by. Magnificent sunsets and a silently full moon.

Train nightmare

Crowdy platform. Train one hour late and stops 2 minutes. Al Abordaje!!!! Pushing. Smashing. At last on board. Long tin wagon. No compartments. Windows sealed with bars. Get your cuchette. Narrow ands short. Try to sleep. One snores. Another grrrrrg and spitting. Others talking loud. One has got a cold. Aaaaatchum every two minutes. Another ferts...Snoring....grrrrrgg... talks... ferts... No way to sleep. Sunrise come. Sellers come. Coffee... Nescafe...Chai, chai... Chapatti... bananas... newspapers!!!!. Beggars.... No way to sleep.. but then.. Goa come into sigth and head clears up. Wonderfull views.

Everything in the street

Magicians, tailors, barbershops, cookers, fresh fruit juices, moving office, scans, typers, printers, phones, dentist, pedicura, ear cleaning, tatoo, astrologues, gypsies, facial massage, shoemakers, everykind of food, sweets, tacos, fried rice cornets, traficants, press and book sellers, whatever you want to do in Bombay, you will find it in the street...

Carlton Hotel. Colaba

40 kms from the airport to Colaba, almost 2 hours time in a permanent traffic jam where transit together cars, motos, autorickshaw, big colourfull lorries, doubledeck red buses, and sometimes indian buffalos and cows and all accompanied with an orchestra of all kind of horns, claxons: estridentes, deadly, sad and scrachy. Carlton Hotel is located just behind Taj Majal Hotel, the best of the city and from my window I can see clearly how basureros take out the high-standar people dechats. But the salty perfume of the Indian Ocean nearby sweeps out all bad smells and brings fresh air and humidity to our street, which is plenty of bars, shops and guys who offers you everytime hachis, marihuana, cocaina and women. Do I look like a vicious man or what?