3 feb. Allahabad – Chitrakut 170 km.
After 5 days with a total sensory bombardment in Allahabad, it is time to move on, I am filled to the brim, I must get back to my own rhythm and not as here, where the city & Kumb Mela one is forced to adjust.
It has been exciting to experience a bit of Kumb Mela. But some have also been enough for me, I have tried to reach into the lives of India's spiritual soul, but be bathed 10th February I have no surplus or want to wait. How will it not be stuck in a spiritual traffic jam with 20 - 30 million souls, all of which will try to reach the place where the spiritual power is greatest, where the two rivers Ganges and Yamuna meet. I leave it up to Brahman and feel he gives me the right, to the rally 10 February I will not find myself, but rather lose myself.
10:30 am on the way to pilgrimage center Chitrakut. A small town - a mini natural version of Varanasi with Ghater on the banks of the narrow river Mandakani. It has very few tourists.
After 100 km. I drive into the country away from the main road
After 100 km. highway driving, I turn my decision to move away from the main road, to find some inner peace gearing down and suck nature's visual power for me.
Side road that started well paved, has now become more and more grounded and sand so at some point I could not hold MC up a small slope, with slippage as loose sand. No hassle but I managed to lift the MC . Because of the side boxes and the strong roll bars found on Enfield nothing happens to me when the move was only 30-40 km. Again, the foot pedal and foot clutch been bent due to the weight of the MC. I can still shift gears, so I fast forward, to the sandy road that ends in a small village. The road from there is only a narrow footpath - an embankment. I can not see any choice but to try terrestrial violence that runs between cultivated arable land. After some driving, I see that parrallet runs a paved road 100 meters to the left of me. I take a rampart across, toward the paved road. I have to get up a steep slope to reach the road. It can only be done through some bushes, which is a bit like thorns but stronger. I came through with a few nicks and some branches that have stuck in my luggage.
My seventh MC. workshop visit near Chitrakut
I stop in a small town before I reach Chitrakut, to correct clutch and footrest. While I have done this, there is a person there pointing on my back and says that I should get air in the tire. He points to the opposite side, where there was a workshop that changed tires and therefore had compressed air. I did character obviously, I 2 days before had checked the air pressure in the pan. When MC was ready and I had to run, I discover that the rear wheel is now flat. Just before I think it looked OK. I pulled MC over to the other side. I had luckily got a new hose as replacement equipment. It took him only 10 minutes. to change the tire and cost 1$ The same amount I gave to get checked air nationwide.
I believe that one or more thorns have pierced themselves in the tire. The air seeps on the way out slowly at first, but then it suddenly go fast and then it got flat. A great success that it held air while I drove to or could be covered be destroyed. - How lucky can you be!
Brahman is with me today
When I think I am promoting the town Chitrakut, I find a guesthouse quickly through my bill, with a sleeping person with zzzz and text Guesthouse. The first is not particularly attractive. It was also booked, it was the next guest house fortunately. I stop at a more exclusive hotel more than 10 km away. They only had one room available and only for a single night. When I was going to stay at least 3 nights here in Chitrakut, he referred me to a guest house which was 8 km. therefrom. Only now do I see on the map that there are three small towns, close beside each other. The first is Karwi the next Chitrakut Dharm and so comes first pilgrimage town Chitrakut, situated on the river Mandakani.
I reach this tiny pilgrim town and being greeted by one beautiful overdue dome and building after another. My mind unfolds like a lotus flower and receive blessing this beautiful vision and look forward to enjoying the next few days here.
The information that a tourist on a Enfield was on his way to the Guest House Pitri Smriti Vishram Grih, had already passed, so a courier on a motorbike praying me and shows signs that I should follow him. Soon we are going up a steep narrow road passing through some dilapidated large door openings, into a dilapidated beautiful courtyard. I get off the MC and we pass through a doorway, the Ghate. What a beautiful veiw, the hustle and bustle of bathers people and colorful dekorede both. Halfway down the steep staircase we enter on the guesthouses large balcony where you have a beautiful view over the whole scene is going down the promenade that runs along the river. It is the only guesthouse in this very small town, not so many tourists do stay here. The rooms are not so charming. They are located in two rows, the front is the animal to 10$ rear 5$ for the other.
It's incredibly lucky that I came down to this historic water edge. I take it as a blessing from Brahman. My stay here get a total of 4 days
The Ghate, what a beautiful veiw here from the doorway, down to the hustle and bustle of bathers people and colorful dekorede both.
The Guest House
The balance between cold and heat means a lot on a motorbike
Until now, I have not suffered from the heat or the fresh and still cold wind on my motorbike. There are only a few times where I've got it hot in my 2 t-shirts, a windproof quilted, - and then my thick leather jacket. When I was out of Varanasi's narrow alleys, I got heat, but was not unpleasant wet and clammy as I can remember from my last MC. journey in Rajasthan. I have on this trip felt incredibly comfortable, even on the cool wind, has been the ruling and no heat. My thin gloves, has from the beginning just keept the cold out. When I sometimes get caught up in the big city traffic jams and slow motion for a long time, it was not unbearable.
This India motorbike trip, there have been as love as 4 - 6 ° C at night. So for me it has been like to be on a tough mountaineering where you sleep and wear the same clothes for a long time. How I've had it this MC journey.
When I drove MC, I have had the same two t-shirts + Thick shirt + windproof quilted + Leather Jacket + thick leather pants + windproof quilted trousers and a large woolen shawl around my neck. When a week's time gets a little warmer, I'll put my shirt and windproof quilted trousers. So much clothing is necessary when you have reached a certain speed and driving hundreds of kilometers. The same 2 t-shirt, one with short sleeves and a Long Sleeve + possible. jacket or thick shirt I use also the days when I did not drive. The same 2 t-shirt I have on when I sleep together with my thin yoga pants and thin socks. When I wake up, I make Yoga in the same clothes. After my yoga program, wears my morning toilet. The ideal before a yoga section is to perform a cleansing process, put on clean clothes and preferably not do yoga in the same room as you sleep, as the passive energy is still hanging in space.
I have not felt uncomfortable and smelly this time, although I have had the same 2 t-shirts on day and night for 5-6 days in a row. They are made of the fine Merino wool. I feel that I have freely able to breathe in them. They are made of fine Merino wool. - At the beginning of my journey was a great advantage when I was on the road every day and therefore had no opportunity to wash clothes. In India the clothes dried only in the sun, a mostly calm.
I bought 2 short-sleeved (200g) and 2 long sleeve t-shirt (150g) of the brand Icebreaker. They are made of wool from the world's oldest breeds of sheep Merino, who is also one of the hardiest. It lives in New Zealand's Southern Alps, where summer can be +35 ° C hot and in winter -20 ° C cold. So its fur needs to breathe in the summer and insulate well in winter.
Merino wool combines the best features of the traditional wool, synthetics and cotton. It is soft and itch-not, it's hot when it's cold and cool when it's hot, it can breathe and thereby prevent clamminess. It has a miraculous ability not to smell - you can run a marathon and not smell more than if you have spent the day on the couch.
Icebreacker Merino is made of thin, natural fibers that make it warm in cold weather, cool in hot weather, lightweight, breathable, no odor and no itching.
I give this advertising on to you, which may drive on MC. but not growing extreme sport and therefore do not know about the new products, which makes it a little easier to endure the large temperature differences. I'm on this journey, could feel a big difference. I've been tipped by a friend. At first I doubted a little effect. But after check t-shirt which costs approx. 75$. I bought 3 more for this journey.
I have just changed to 2 clean fresh t-shirt. So now I am good driving the next 5-6 days
We are bombarded by images and information in everyday life
Dave, whom I met in Allahabad, the only fine dining restaurant in the neighborhood where the food is good and I could bear to sit and write on my blog, asked me some wondering why I did not use facebook instead of spending time and effort to write long stories that few still bother to read.
On facebook you can very quickly communicate ideas, thoughts and experiences on, you think is worth sharing with others. Through facebook you can reach many more people easily and quickly give a response to the same input in cyberspace. You will probably also get feedback from people you do not know. It sounds incredibly exciting, so why not seize to use this form of communication, rather than sit and fight with long tedious descriptions, as I said, only to be read a few of my friends.
He found it difficult to understand, my little negative attitude to facebook as I 2 years ago has registered but not used actively. I signed up for through facebook to get in touch with an old boyfriend. I had to admit that now that I had said A facebook I had to say B. So after several months I said OK for those who were on the list and were willing to be friends with me.
I quickly discovered that the way to communicate, with short sentences and here and now information that was not really me. Many did not really have something to say, they had thought deeply about. It seemed too superficial and more, from here I am, where are you. Therefore, I have consistently not expanded my circle of friends.
My daughter, who is also a visual artist and designer, I had the same debate with on facebook just before I went on this journey. She can not understand why I do not use facebook, future networks. She thinks it's wonderful and life-affirming to get feedback via facebook for her works and many times from people she does not know.
As an artist, you can quickly and easily come out with information about where you now have exhibition and what you're doing. Your visual message will be ten times faster and reach a hundred times more people. But you will be seen and heard at all seen and heard in this amount of information.
On my journey, I feel that many Indians, not only children but also adults who want me taking pictures of them. They do not need to see their picture on the camera display. They are grateful that I through my action confirms them in that they are important, that they are heard and seen.
I can understand her - of course I am interested that more people see my art, but I know that my works are not readily available and can not be decoded quickly, they require time and immersion and be experienced direct physical.
But it's probably not what makes that I have not used facebook. My generation and the younger uses probably most, of the slightly more direct personal communication via email.
I belong to a generation that has grown up with a different setting for friendships and friends. Example, if I decide me for inviting a foreigner who is on a week's stay in Copenhagen, home for dinner. Then I feel morally obliged to at least that would see the person 1-2 times more. Do I have time, desire and energy for this because there are other friends, family and work are also to be looked after. Therefore, it is for the young and for myself easier to see new acquaintances in a café or on facebook, before moving into a more binding friendship. I have thus no need to have hundreds of so called facebook friends.
I think facebook is an extremely important democratic way to spread ideas and thoughts. Therefore, I can see that I now must find a way to relate to facebook, so I can constructively use this network without losing myself. For facebook is huge cultural embracing like India.
I know it's important to be open to new impulses, thoughts and attitudes in order to advance in the understanding of one's existence. But I am ready and have the energy to close a lot of new people in, who will communicate and tell a lot, I might not want to hear. I have several times gone into facebook and have been surprised at how much information to pass onto a. Facebook is incredibly embracing filled with all the good and all the bad, and culture as in India.
I have after all these thoughts on facebook, decided to let facebook become one of my new projects. So I do not only am dealing with the long and tedious form of communication via blog, but sometimes take advantage of the short dynamic form that requires if you want with the fast information highway ..
We are bombarded by images and information in our everyday lives. The speed of the information society, doing that takes advantage of short messages 'information' as SMS and facebook. Texts can be long, making greater demands for consistency and reasoning.
This blog has been a way for me to think through ideas and themes inspired by the encounter with another culture. It has been a visual expression that suits my temperament and working, I love to immerse myself in this visual dialogue with my friends and with those from different countries and cultures via the Internet have found my motorbike blog.
Since I wrote my first MC.India / Manali journey 2008 I can see through Google's statistics show that over 11,000 have visited my blog from all over the world. As many other MC. adventurous people has been by my visual images and descriptions, and on the way got a glimpse of my meeting as Dane with the Indian culture.
Fortunately, there are many of you friends who have read my sometimes too long and detailed reports and thoughts. - Thanks for the positive feedback I have received from some of you.
Drove out and visited some temples which lay just outside the Chitrakut
in honor of the Hindu god Hanuman, also called Monkey God, which symbolizes
physical strength, perseverance and devotion. By providing food monkeys show
Mon its hengivendhed to the god Hanuman.
Inside the great temple there were of course many
Sadhus you could get the blessing of.
6 Feb. Chitrakut spirits of divine peace until they worshiped
This little Pilgrims city filled with praying people who take a deep in this small tributary of the Yamuna, has a nice calming effect on me. Twice I experienced evening ceremony at the river edge, which was a lovely musical and visual experience. But the divine crackling noise or musical noise from speakers miserable early morning and late evening, doing one's ear, hearing can not really relax. So if you think that here you can quietly meeting holy spirit, so you are wrong. No spirits had to be welcomed, so everyone can hear that they are on the way.
In this small pilgrim town they had learned to breathe and live with that 4-5 times a day there is a power failure 0 -2 hours. As a tourist it can be a little difficult, because at this guesthouse there are no generator takes over and turns an emergency light as in the bigger cities. Fortunately, it is the first time in my 3 travels in India that I see so many daily power failures. It's good I have a small lamp so I can see a little.
Down in the town I was contacted by one of the young man who had shown me the way up to Pitri Smriti Guesthouse. His name was Tiny and is the son of the owner. He had fallen out with his family, so he didn't joint the staff and some guests on Pitri Smriti. From early morning to late evening, they sat around the fire, a kind campfire and been shrouded in shilumens smokescreen. Sessions was usually accompanied by a little bell rang and some excruciating estimated chords. This enduring guitar sounds from a beginner enthusiast, I enjoy all day.
Tiny as I could understand, had no permanent job, nor any ambitions immediate future, seemed to enjoy its relaxed life where he could afford just to hang out with some friends. During the day they took some hallucinations enhancing drugs they call Tamaco & Sypari that works a bit like hashish and quite often also a chillum.
It was Tiny who told me about the various temples and museums that lay just outside the city. He also gave me some tips on what cities like this, was worth the visit on my onward journey in the direction of Agra and New Delhi.
The city Khajuraho with its over 1000 year old temples with erotic figures, was clearly the next town I had to seek out on my journey. He also gave me the address of a guest house in Khajuraho. Then there was the interesting cities like Nochha, Dati, Agra on my route back to Delhi.
It was an incredible relief to finally get the last cities on my journey into place. I could sense that the next stop on my trip would also be a success here in Chitrakut.
Kl. 22 started thunder, the light came and went as lightning.
Public toilet
Drainage ditches
Sewer pipes
AUM
Bjarne
