Update

hello all,

So, I said India wasn't relaxing. It's not but, it's absolutely intoxicating. For all the struggles the rewards are so great and seem to come just when you need them. Sunday evening I travelled by train 12 hours from Varanasi, the holy chaos of the
ganges, back to Dehli to catch another 12 hour train to Jodhpur they call the "blue city" Most of the buildings or at least part of them are painted this amazing indigo blue.



At the top of the hill is a giant old fort, complete with cannonball blemishes from an ancient war. I must tell you first a funny story from my layover in Dehli. I got myself a 5 dollar room for the day in this crazy part of old dehli. It's basically several blocks dedicated to car & motorcycle parts, mechanics, etc.. Very strange and cool muslim area. Across from my hotel is the oldest, largest, or both in India. I can't remember the name either at the moment. Anyway, I thought I'll head over check it out maybe get a picture or two. I arrive at the gate and since I'm wearing shorts, which are not allowed, I have to put on this crazy robe, take of my shoes...So, I wander in and have my big four by five field camera unfolded. I thought people seemed facinated in China with this strange "old looking" camera. Nothing like here. I set up the camera much like I did in Shanghai on the river. I found a suitable background, meanwhile a crowd is gathering bigtime.



It's fairly un-nerving, but I keep my cool take a light meter reading, more people, more. I stop look around. I'm completely surounded. I actually kind of can't even move. There must have been 50+ kids, adults, all male. There not just behind me. They are all around. If I was trying to take a picture or the Mosque. Not gonna happen. I just start clicking. I shot several sheets of my curious friends. All smiles. The funniest thing though was. I picked up to move. Not really knowing what to do. I had planned on pulling a few interesting folks out of the crowd for single pictures. Forget it. Not enough film. So, as I moved they all followed me. The funny part is I'm here at this huge Mosque filled with all kinds of people, including many fellow travellers, and I have a pack of 50 people following me around. And I have on this crazy robe. I just start laughing. It was a fantastic moment.





I did however retreat back to my little room to regroup. That happens alot. You start to feel overwhelmed with the mass of humanity. I headed up to the roof of my hotel for dinner. It was dusk and I was surprised to find people on the rooftops of the surrounding buildings as far as the eye could see flying kites. Hundreds of kites in the sky. It was such a site. Set against the backdrop of this massive Mosque, absolutely beautiful.



I made the train last night at nine and met a really cool couple from Barcelona in my compartment. We talked with an Indian man late about the hindu religion, caste system, all sorts. I arrived in Jodhpur this morning at 9 a.m. I have this thing I do at the train station upon arrival. You're always mobbed by all the rickshaw drivers looking to take you any number of places, some of which are on their kickback lists. I always like to make it through the crowd to find my own guy. Somehow it seems better if I pick them out instead of the other way around. So, this guy approached us, my friends for Spain and I. I shrugged him of in search of my magic driver. We make it through this huge crowd. I find this dude not paying too much attention, that's my secret, and say how much to Havali Hotel. 25 rupees, fine let's go. In jumps the guy I just turned down. This is my brother he says. Funny right. You never know. My hotel in Jodhpur is outstanding with five roof decks looking out over the blue city. A bargain at 7 bucks a night.

dylan