Under the Bodhi tree like Gautama Buddha

Bodhi tree and statue of hungry budha in the cave

Bodgaya
Bodgaya, the city were Gatama Buddha got enlightened some 2.500 thousand years ago meditating under the bodhi tree. It is an enormous tree with enormous twigs!

Sitting here, besides the tree you can feel the energy which calms every part of your body, not one of them wanting to leave this tranquile place and makes my sitting here for hours passing by..

Monasteries
In Bodgaya you find a lot of monasteries from nepalese, japanese to bhutanese. I stayed 5 dayes in the last one. Rooms are very spacious and clean and the garden is big and taken well care of. For me one of the best places to stay when you're in Bodgaya..

Around Bodgaya you see the real villages and colourfull village lifestyle: paddi fields, waterbuffalo's, men spitting pan, horse rikshja's with nice bellsounds, palmtrees, mud houses, chula's and cowdung etc..

Buddha's cave
Yesterday I cycled with my 2 indian friends all the way to the cave where Gautama Buddha stayed for 6 years in the jungle (20 km on indian bikes and roads! result: pain in the ass!). Buddha scarcely came out, when he did he walked all the way to the village to beg for some food.

Drunken Indian'policemen' wanting money
When We were sitting near the cave enjoying a drink a drunk men in police uniform and stick came. Asking all the men for money and us too. I didn't like his behaviour and thought it was better to leave this place. When we did, he unfortunately followed us! I felt something was going to happen..

He followed us all the way, talking to me saying 'madam this and that'. Slapping with his stick aroudn while talking. When we reached our cycles, he started to stop us and asked for money, wanted to slap my little friend on the back with his long stick.

When he saw me struggling with my key he turned to me and put his stick between my forewheel so I couldn't move. He looked angrily, drunk and wanted money! Without reacting I looked into my bag, he was looking too, and I gave him 50 roepies eventhough he asked for less.

You never know with these drunken bastards! How I hate them (I know I must not hate) drunk people when they misbehave!

Poor fellow friends of mine were silent the whole way back, thinking of the 50 roepies I had to give this bastard. I confirmed them it was not worth thinking of this man anymore minute. I just was happy nothing happened to us!

Lesson learned:
1. don't go to abandoned touristic places with young guys who cannot help me in case I need help.
2. don't go alone to Bihar to visit my ancestors villages, as Bihar is known as a poor district with less regulations and lot of criminality..