Povestiri din Rajahstan. 42. Un obiectiv ratat

Excursia in India m-a invatat concret ca nu intotdeauna socoteala de acasa se potriveste cu cea din targ. Si atunci trebuie sa faci fata situatiei, incercand sa obtii cel mai bun rezultat posibil.

Imi place sau nu, ultimele zile in India au stat sub semnul demonstrantilor Gujjari, care blocau cai de acces si, implicit turistii in drumul lor catre obiectivele din Gujarat. Trebuie sa iei in considerare si asemenea situatii cand pleci undeva. Si ca si cand asta nu ar fi fost destul, chiar in timp ce rulam pe sosea in drum spre Fatehpur Sikri, Bhawar a fost anuntat telefonic ca tatal sau a fost internat de urgenta la spital si starea sa nu este prea buna. In aceasta situatie, ne-a spus ca ne duce pana la Agra, ne lasa acolo si pleaca imediat la Jaipur pentru a preda masina la agentie, urmand sa ia un autobuz de noapte pentru a ajunge la Jodhpur, unde locuieste tatal sau. Pe noi urma sa ne preia un alt sofer, cu o alta masina, care sa ne duca de la Agra la Delhi, iar la aeroport vom fi dusi cu masina hotelului. Din acest moment totul a devenit o incertitudine. Un sofer nou, cu care sa fim impreuna doar o zi, dupa ce ne obisnuisem cu Bhawar, o persoana care nu stia care ne sunt restantele in Delhi…In plus, pierdusem deja vizitele la Fortul Rosu sau Lal Qila si la moscheea Jama Masjid din Delhi, datorita festivalului din ziua sosirii noastre la Delhi, care a facut imposibil traficul in zona.

Datorita demonstratiilor, drumul larg, cu doua benzi pe sensul de mers, era aproape pustiu. Din pacate, nu am mers pe el mai mult decat aproximativ o ora. Ca mereu diminetile si acum e putina ceata.

Undeva, pe la marginea drumului, am vazut un templu specific zonelor sudice ale Indiei, foarte colorat. Ceva mai incolo, ne impresioneaza o statuie imensa a lui Hanuman, Zeul Maimuta.

Hanuman

In locul in care parasim soseaua principala pentru deviatia lunga care ne va duce la Fathpur Sikri, un numar de demonstrati sunt asezati pe sosea. Cateva masini ale armatei si soldati, ii pazesc. Nu fac poze, sa nu supar pe nimeni. Imi place sa evit lucrurile care se pot inflama repede.

Bhawar vorbeste tot timpul la telefon. Noi tacem. Ma gandesc la variantele “castigatoare”: ce sa vad si la ce sa renunt. Sugestia lui a fost sa renuntam la Fatehpur Sikri pentru ca vom ajunge foarte tarziu si nu vom avea timp sa il vizitam si sa mergem direct la Agra, unde mai putem vedea dupa amiaza Fortul Rosu. Am facut atata drum, este – mai mult ca sigur – singurul drum pe care il fac in India si sa renunt acum la ceva ce era in planul meu, cand si asa am ratat in Delhi doua obiective importante? Greu de acceptat pentru un Capricorn. Decid sa mergem totusi la Fatehpur Sikri si sa vedem ce se  va putea. Bhawar este uimit de hotararea mea, probabil credea ca voi renunta. Lui i-ar fi convenit sa ajunga mai repede cu noi la Agra, ca sa poata pleca. Eu insa ma gandesc ca daca oricum va veni un alt sofer de maine, voi trata cu el cum impartim timpul pentru cele doua obiective din Agra.

Ca si cand s-ar fi grabit doar cand era vorba despre noi si obiectivele noastre, ne spune ca undeva, in fata noastra, este un  coleg de-al sau cu niste turisti spanioli si ca am putea sa ne oprim si noi, sa bem impreuna un ceai. Nu eram amatoare de ceai la marginea drumului dar am acceptat sa ne oprim jumatate de ora. Miscare gresita, fiindca pierdeam noi, de la Fatehpur Sikri.

In curand ii ajungem pe spanioli, care se oprisera intr-un sat. Erau de langa Barcelona si acum veneau de la Bengalore, urmand sa vada “triunghiul de aur”: Agra- Jaipur-Delhi. Taraba nu-mi inspira nici o incredere. Mai multi curiosi se adunasera sa ne priveasca. Probabil ca putini turisti se abat pe drumul acesta, ei avand la dispozitie soseaua buna, pe care o parasisem. Profitam de ocazie sa ne refacem provizia de banane de la un taran care le vindea intre doua camioane.

Pe drumul care serpuieste printre multe sate uitate parca de Dumnezeu vedem cladiri abandonate si capre, lanuri galbene de rapita, caramidarii si niste “casute” ce par din lut, ornamentate cu frumoase motive geometrice. Curand mi-am dat seama ca erau, de fapt, gramezi frumos ordonate din acele “turte” de camila uscate la soare, pe care vi le-am mai aratat, carora li s-a dat aceasta forma probabil dintr-un simt estetic deosebit. Cand aveau nevoie de ele pentru foc, “spargeau” casuta si luat materialul combustibil.

Drumul care se aglomereaza tot mai mult ne indica ca ne apropiem, in sfarsit, de Fatehpur Sikri. Nu mai e mult pana la apusul soarelui. In curand oprim in parcarea pentru turisti. De aici, se ajunge la obiectiv cu ricsa, tuk-tukul sau pe jos. Masinile nu au voie mai departe, zice Bhawar. Noi am vazut insa dar n-am putut intreba in ce conditii au ajuns acolo…Cred ca Bhawar nu prea mai avea chef…Negociem un tuk-tuk la 100 Rp (1.58 euro!!!) dus-intors si plecam.

Stories of Rajahsthan. 42. A Missed Objective

From my travel in India I learned that a plan doesn’t work always by the book. We even have  an adage here, in Romania, that “the counting from home, doesn’t fit that at the market”. Upon the arrival, we lost in Delhi our visit to the Lal Qila or the Red Fort and Jama Masjid mosque, because of the Muslim festival, which made impossible the traffic in Old Delhi.

Now, as if the Gujjars’ demonstration was not enough (we lost a lot of time driving on bad roads to avoid the main road, blocked by demonstrators), Bhawar was announced that his father, badly ill, was admitted into the hospital, in Jodhpur. So, he told us he has to leave immediately. He will drive us today and then he will leave us in Agra, while another driver will assist us further. He also told us that it will be too late to visit something in Fatehpur Sikri, and it will be better to go straightly to Agra and to visit Red Fort today.Now, a change of plan is difficult to admit for a Capricorn like myself. I like to stick to my plans, which I make very careful, and for which I spend a lot of energy. Somehow, it was unacceptable to loose another objective and, as a matter of fact, I still hoped to be able to see Lal Qila in Delhi…Besides, this was the only travel to India for me. There will be no other chance. Nevertheless, I decided to go to Fatehpur Sikri and, depending on the arrival time, to visit whatever we can.

The detour was very long. We passed, right at the beginning of the journey, still on the motorway, near a temple built in Southern Indian style: very colorful and richly adorned. When we left the motorway, making our way through quite a lot of God forgotten villages, we passed by places where they make bricks or by yellow, huge fields of rape (Brassica). When the road became more crowded, we knew we are approaching Fatehpur Sikri. We stopped on a parking place. Further, the tourists are going by rickshaws, tuk-tuks or by feet. The negotiated price for a return ride by tuk-tuk is of 100 Rp. We had to hurry up as the sun was almost at sunset when we arrived in Fatehpur Sikri, and still need to go to Agra.


Comments

Povestiri din Rajahstan. 42. Un obiectiv ratat — 26 Comments

  1. So surprising to read that there’s tuktuk in India (thought it exist only in Bangkok).

    What an adventure you had in this trip, my friend? And just by looking at your photos, it’s all worth it. Love all the photo essays, not to mention the stories you provide us.

  2. pharaonx, nu eram departe nici eu de asta dar trebuia sa il inteleg si pe el…problema era “pe mine cine ma intelege?”…dupa cum am explicat, nu mai am nici varsta si nici resursele de a mai face o a doua excursie acolo…daca mai apuc, merg in alta tara, unde n-am mai fost…e normal ca am incercat tot ce am putut ca sa imi realizez traseul…din pacate, am reusit doar partial, in prima zi si in ultimele doua actionand factori dincolo de controlul meu…e riscul asumat, pana la urma, cand mergi in tari unde lucrurile nu merg snur….

  3. They have tuk-tuks in Beijing, Turkye, or Tunis as well, Rizalenio.

    When one is traveling in distant countries there is the risk that not everything works well. If I would have been younger, I would have said “What the heck, I come another time” but it is not the case…With few years good for travels in front of me, every place is unique!

  4. The travel is always unpredictable adventures, especially the distant …
    The photos of your beautiful, colorful and interesting!!!
    Greetings

  5. We do not normally appreciate how difficult it is to travel in a country that seems trouble free for the tourist and yet demonstrations can affect the trip of a lifetime by missing important and famous structures. This post remains colourful informative and very interesting.

  6. Thank you, J_on_tour, for your kind words. This was exactly my case but I can’t complain after all: I saw such beautiful, amazing, interesting things which which will be food for thoughts for a long time from now on.

  7. now that’s how you describe majestic. youve made me so fascinated of india. now i have to search for those bits of indian culture in the country.

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