Wednesday, Dec. 15th 2004, 4:13pm

So, here I am in Bodhi Gaya... the place that Siddhartha Gautama, "the Buddha", attained enlightenment some 2500 years ago.

This morning as I walked from my residence here toward my breakfast place, I passed through a residential area... homes made of mud, children doing their things, naked, clothed, dirty. Mothers & fathers & grandparents making food, washing their clothes... people working, chickens, goats, mamma dogs with their pups. Small streams of water running here and there, black with... the smell of urine & feces here and there - after all, this is where these people do that too. I came to a slightly larger stream, black as well, with a bank covered in garbage. Ever been to a municipal dump? As I crossed over it I saw ahead a fellow... in his late teens or twenties? His back was to me, as he moved along the top of a brick fence, one of his legs lamely flapping against his body. He looked so much like a monkey walking high on a narrow fence, except... As I passed him he'd seated himself on the top of the fence, back to me, and relieved himself. I continued walking on, along side the sickly stream, and its bank of garbage, the water permeating the soil, making the path damp, and becoming the water table that we all use here. Yesterday I, for the first time, took my garbage - a nice bag full, and tossed it over by the bus stop, where a dog took command of it, lest any other dog or pig or goat or person should try make a move on it. This is what happens here, all over. There is no "dump". There is no garbage collection, save for the hotel worker who takes your garbage and does the same thing with it. The animals eat whatever they can of it, and the rest sits there, or gets set on fire each morning. On the up side there are some people, children & otherwise, who go around scavenging through this scene, picking out plastic bottles, metal, etc, and take them to a recycling collection place where they get paid as per the weight of material brought. I had a hard time doing that. I wonder what happens to the batteries I throw away. I'm going to buy rechargeables.

I'll spare you all the details of the children, men, and women, some with bodies in tact, others not, who ask for money or food as I walk... anywhere.

This is a beautiful and spiritual place though... I suppose it epitomizes the extremes that can be found in India. The day before last, the drummer & I walked across a dry river, and over to a temple where the Buddha was given rice & milk, and another where he was given grass to make a seat out of. These things made it possible for him to come to this spot, to sit down, and to discover the truth. On our way back we saw what appeared to be a funeral pyre being made out in the dry sand of the river bottom. We walked parallel to the bridge, half way between it and the gathering, and when we were in line with it we stopped to observe. The fire was lit, and after some time a fellow walked out toward us and invited us to come closer. They offered that we could take pictures, if we wanted, if we had cameras. We did, and we stood, and sat, and talked with the family members. Their brother, their uncle... 60 - 65 years old. The fire burning hot, smoke blowing past us. I could see.

I would cry right now, but I'm in an internet cafe and won't allow myself. It's hard... I want to do something, a lot of people want to do something, but it can be very difficult to see how to be effective.

Changing the subject, my dad asked if I've had opportunities to play the guitar I brought. I have been playing my guitar some... in Nagpur I played it while
sitting around Derek's place, and a neighbouring father & small daughter knocked on the door. The little girl had been listening outside, but wanted to see, so I played 2 or 3 songs for them. Also, Viren and his mother, father, and a cousin wanted to hear some songs so I played a few. An indian fellow on the train from Nagpur to Patna wanted to hear something so I played a section of Long Black Veil, but it was so noisy it was quite lame, so I cut it short. Now in Bodhi Gaya, I've been getting to know a few people from the UK, one of who is a drummer in a "tribal-rock-pop" band called "me and me mates". He's also staying at Mohammad's place, and last night we were up until 1:30am playing various tunes, Beatles, Simon and Garfunkel, and others. I'm regretting not bringing my Bob Marley song book... as I keep getting requests for Bob... The night before I was hanging out with Umesh (Mohammad's nephew) who is working at Mohammad's house, and we were reading through a few songs, to understand what they're about, and then I'd play through them. So yup, gettin in some strumming action. :)

Also, I'd like to share some examples of what it's costing to live here from day to day.

In Nagpur: Dec 3rd
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64 - doxy (malaria pills)
60 - dental floss
11 - papaya & oranges
45 - thali (lunch) & chai
3.5 - local phone calls
40 - internet (2 hours)
28 - coconut crunch biscuits & cadbury chocolate bar
===============
251.5 Rs = $5.70 USD

In Bodhi Gaya: Dec 14th
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130 - rent
36 - breakfast
25 - oranges & pomegranate
12 - 1 ltr water
60 - internet (2hr)
15 - biscuits & candies
20 - coke & mango drink
10 - tibetan yellow noodles
4 - roasted corn on the cob
68 - dinner
==================
380 Rs = $8.60 USD.

I don't eat three meals every day, mostly a 'breakfast/lunch' and dinner. I don't drink sodas every day. Every week or so I buy some AA batteries for 45 Rs ($1.00 USD). You can get the picture. My train ticket to Delhi is ~385 Rs, or roughly $8.75 USD.

Anyway, that's all I've got to say for now. I've been sitting here for nearly 2 hours and it's now dark. I'll do something more useful tomorrow.

Take care all,

Dharma