Stop The Car!!

"Nautch Girls" Imperial Hotel, Delhi.

The buses in India are generally overcrowded and uncomfortable, and you always run the risk of having your bags stolen, so I decided it would be more relaxing and fun to cab it to Patna, the capital city of Behar. Sounds extravagent? Not really, it works out at about $20 for the 3-4 hour trip from Bodhgaya (and you can outrun the Naxalites in a taxi - lol!)

Relaxing? I don't think so. The driver was burning down the highway like he was on crack or something, weaving in and out of traffic, dodging kids, beggars, chooks, cows, bikes. And people just step out onto the street - worse than Bondi Road! Then I took a good look at him - he looked terrible, pale, bleary eyed, yawning. Then, while still cruising at 120 kms/hour I noticed he was starting to nod.

- Are you OK??

- Oh, yes sir, just tired because i worked all night.

- You mean you've had no sleep at all?

- Right sir.

- STOP THE CAR!!!

"Then take me to the nearest train station". Hmm; no trains until the next day....... We were stuck with each other for the further 2 hour white knucke into Patna, with my beady eye on the dial and the needle not going over 80.

Behar is one of the "backward states", one of the poorest in India. Think piles of fragrant garbage and worse, severe air pollution (not as bad as Calcutta) cow pats everywhere (watch your step) - they haven't hunted the cows out of the city like in other places.

And the cycle rickshaw still rules. English appears not to be as widely or well spoken as elsewhere (just my observation) Not sure of the literacy rate but this usually parallels the English fluency.

Stayed at the Maurya Hotel - Patna's finest (don't get excited as Alison Deitz would say). Its a typical "classy" Indian hotel, dark, not too grubby with lots of funky features and plenty of the ubiquitous "tip collectors" hanging around. Indian hotels always have lots of tip collectors around the place. They are stationed on every floor, to render immediate assistance. In reality, they seem to do little except hang around their desk or spy on the guests, make a lot of noise and collect tips for such services as pushing the elevator button. The phone on their desk ran hot, day and night. When it rang it played a muzac verse of "Oh! Susannah". Loud. More or less of it depending how far they were from the elevator button.

Went to the museum. It was great. Its got a terrific collection of statuary from all Indian ages and places. Lots of Buddhas, cause Behar is the land of the Buddha, and they had lots of great Rajput and other paintings and artifacts. Late that day I took in the view to the Ganges, and over the city from the "Beehive", an enormous granary built by the Poms in the late 18th century to guard against further famine. I

I found the folk of Patna to be particularly friendly and helpful, helping me bargain with rickshaw drivers, offering travel and other advice. Indians are curious people, and no less so in Patna. They love to find out all about you and don't hesitate to ask any question. And they like Australians because our cricket team is number one. I've had to learn the names of our whole team. Not knowing at least that is like not knowing the name of the prime minister!