Katni

The Chariot has covered good ground and it is in pretty good shape except for the light switch which petered out sometime in the drive to Nagpur. We decide to stop and spend the night in Katni before heading to Varanasi.

We pull into a garage on the outskirts of town. Immediately, the mechanic rips out the switch and sets about replacing it. Bennett is invited to tea by a store keeper next to the garage while I set about replacing the switch with the mechanic.

Bennett learns that the shopkeeper makes about 12 rupees per day from his store. That’s less than 50 cents a day! Yet, he invites Bennett to tea and refuses to accept any rupees for his kindness.

After the switch is replaced, I pay the mechanic 50 rupees for his services and 20 rupees for tip. The mechanic is bashful and refuses to take the tip. The other mechanics around him encourage him not to take the tip. I insist and after much polite refusal, I force it into his hand. He accepts graciously, slightly embarrassed by accepting the tip.

Posted at 06:00PM Jan 05, 2007 by D Bums Comments[0]

Enlightenment of the Bums

Having suffered much cold since leaving Pune and having suffered something akin to Piles from the lack of cushion in the seat of the Chariot, the Bums have an idea. Why don’t we buy blankets and a cushion in Jabalpur?

For the first time in four days, the bums are warm. For the first time in over a week, the bums' buns are comfortable.

Posted at 03:00PM Jan 05, 2007 by D Bums Comments[0]

Road to Jabalpur

    

This road is the most dramatic so far. We reach the highway which leads up a tree lined hill complete with roadside monkeys observing the traffic. We reach the plateau and the panoramic vista of the yellow poppy fields below fill the blue horizon. After last night’s drive, the view is exhilarating and we are excited to be on the road once again.

The boulevard like highway passes through small villages and vast farmlands interrupted intermittently by Hindu temples and small bodies of water. There is not much traffic and the roads are perfect.

Driving in the warm Indian sun through the yellow fields of poppy and green grassland dotted by the vibrant colors of saris, we are once again enthralled by the visually symphonic beauty of India.

Posted at 12:30PM Jan 05, 2007 by D Bums Comments[0]

Police and the Value of Fame

Leaving Nagpur, we are searching for the road to Jabalpur. There is a bridge that leads to the highway, but the road to the bridge is closed. We look for a bypass despite the lack of signs. At some point, we are driving in the wrong direction of a one-way street.

We are stopped by a policeman and a small crowd has gathered. I show the policeman our papers and explain our journey from Kochi to Darjeeling. He asks for a license. Bennett is driving and he has none. I tell Bennett to get out of the rickshaw and fumble around pretending to look for his license. I buy time by explaining our charity mission to the policeman, trying to think of something. Meanwhile, a local keeps echoing license over the policeman’s shoulders and he asks Bennett again for the license.

I pull out my camera from the camera bag and ask if I could take a picture of the policeman with the rickshaw. He takes off his hat, straightens his hair, and poses proudly. Some of the locals join in and the atmosphere turns from serious to jovial. I snap their photo and show them the results on the LCD. Everyone is happy and the policeman laughs and tells Bennett to drive on. We get directions to the bypass to Jabalpur and we are once again on our way.

Posted at 08:00AM Jan 05, 2007 by D Bums Comments[0]

Nagpur and the Buddha in the Glovebox

We reach Nagpur in the dead of night along a boulevard leading into the city. The geographical center of India is a prosperous city with wide avenues and open public spaces.

We locate the center of town by the rail station and find lodgings for the night. After the hellish drive, we decide to sleep in and drive less the following day.

Taking a cue from bingo players on the Red Neck Riviera who surround themselves with candles of Jesus and Mary, I place a laughing Buddha in the glove box for luck.

Posted at 02:00AM Jan 05, 2007 by D Bums Comments[0]

An Injury

Somewhere on the road to Nagpur, Bhindi separates a shoulder.

Posted at 11:21PM Jan 04, 2007 by D Bums Comments[0]