Northern India Journey - Day 22 Varanasi to Bodhgaya - 3/1/2011

The train to Gaya was in afternoon. I had a morning to go around Varanasi. I visited a mosque along the river, Aurangazeb Mosque. There was on people there except the security guard. The mosques was closed. When I decided to leave, there was a staff came to me and invited me to go inside to visit. He was a very nice guy. He introduced the mosque and a little history there. That really interesting.

The restaurant that I had my last meal in Varanasi.

The waiter was so excited to take picture with me. I think there were no much Asian tourist eat there.

Monks on the street. The tones of orange was so beautiful.

The Aurangazeb Mosque

Inside the mosque.

After lunch, I finally went ahead to the train station to leave Varanasi. The train was an hour delayed, comparatively "on time" in Indian schedule. In the train, I had read that the area in Bihar was not very safety. I was suggested to go to Bodhgaya after I have arrived Gaya. I was a bit worried as when I arrived there was already in evening. In the train, I met a man from Sikkim. He asked me to lend him my travel guide book. When he returned to me, He said it's dangerous to stay in Gaya and recommended me to join his family together to Bodhgaya. He even introduced me his son and said not to worry. I didn't join him in the end. Since suddenly someone being good to you in India was so strange to me. I know I was over sensitive when I recalled this incident.

Sometime in the journey I could always meet nice people who help me to solve problems. A man sat next to me, had no conversation for the entire trip at all, told me which was the station I had to get off!! I thought he'd heard my conversation with the Sikkim man. In the station, I couldn't see the family as too many people moving. I, therefore, tried to sort out how I should do. I met a Russian couple in the station. I asked them would they also went to Bodhgaya. As they had this idea, I asked whether I could join them. And that's all-right. We went there and picked a hostel to stay. But finding a hostel wasn't an easy task at night. We initially wanted to find a monastery to stay as it would be cheaper. But all temples were closed at that time. Our driver also insisted to bring us to a hostel he introduced. We took quite a long time to manage to get a room we want. Honestly, I'm really thanks that they would accept a stranger like me to join them for a trip.