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After breakfast I stopped at the travel desk where I was introduced to my driver, Mohmmed. He was a neatly dressed man of medium build in his early forties.
India 2002 - Part Four: Bujapur, Gulbarga & Bidar
Dougburnett2003-11-24 12:16:16
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then went back to their game without another thought of me. Again, I was surprised. On my first trip to northern India anyone who did anything for me held out their hand. This was a very pleasant change.
This mosque was on a hill and, as we stood looking out, Mohmmed pointed out the many other mosques and tombs that dotted the countryside. But, it was growing dark and my tour was over for the day. On the way back to the hotel, I don't know why, I agreed to let Mohmmed drive back the same way we had come. The only concession I asked was that we leave by 7:00. I had another excellent dinner in the hotel courtyard while I fed the local mosquitoes. After, I sent for beer and sat in my room writing in my journal.
Gulbarga & Bidar, Saturday, February 16
After a couple of hours on the road, Mohmmed stopped at a little roadside restaurant. He was, I think, a little miffed that I had insisted we leave before the hotel restaurant opened and before he had his morning coffee. Although the roads hadn't improved any, the ride back seemed faster, probably because the worst part was at the beginning of the trip.
Our first real stop was in Gulbarga - at, I believe, a Hindu temple. The problem was I never got a chance to see it. Next to the temple was a secondary school and the parking lot was full of adolescent boys on lunch break. As soon as they saw me, they came running over. Soon I was hopelessly surrounded and they were all talking excitedly at once: "Where are you from?" "What is your name?" And, many more questions that I couldn't make out. I tried to move toward the temple, but the crowd was too thick. There were probably 50 to 60 of them crowding around me.
Just then a guard from the temple came running toward us with a cane pole held over his head. The boys say him and ran away. I don't believe the guard was really trying to hit the boys - he
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See photographs from:
India Gallery
