October 15, 2010 4.30pm
A traffic light. Men brush against me on buses and on the street. Everyone finds a reason to make the initial price higher. Yes, I’m in India. I’m not sure about the time here. I miss Nepal already, how they treat foreigners. In the last bus I took I couldn’t let an elderly woman take my place, because I was the guest and I had to remain seated.
On the bus to Kakarbhitta this morning there was a mad man. With girlfriend and daughter. He showed me his calf and threw a fist in the air to show me his strength. He asked me to go to his home. Sure. And he offered me to take his daughter. In exchange of my camera.
There’s a shop near the gas station! Wow, it feels almost like Europe. Not even in China are gas stations like this.
8.15 pm Tower View Hotel. They are heating up the water so that I can shower. I’ll wash taking the water from a basin. Ok, it’s not the end of the world. As long as it’s hot. Because it’s quite cold and very humid here in Darjeeling. 2134 m above sea level, home of tea. It’s in West Bengala, a region that seeks independence (they call it Gorkhaland or something similar). It’s not really India yet, it’s a mix of Nepal and Tibet. They actually speak Nepalese, I believe. And people is kind (I’m not expecting Indians to be rude, but a bit more annoying yes).
I’m super tired and I’m looking forward to go to bed.
