day 14, post 2

Ok so were driving close to 80km and hour. I think that’s like 65mph or something. That’s when our driver and Fr. Paul, who was sitting in the front seat, put on their seat belts we dint have any in the back. That’s the first time I’ve seen them wear a seat belt. Cool. They do work. I was wondering about that. And this isn't like driving on I-71 where the roads are pretty smooth. 3 lanes. Civilized. Nope. This was like the city, chaotic. But there were two lanes one filled with trucks the other with other people driving, doing a may pole dance with their cars, in and out, you pass that car then come around this car then pass him again. Driver didn’t like this game. Honk honk… cya later, alligators… I don’t think he had ever heard that before. Mary Ellen and Prof Malcolm were sleeping so I was the only one who laughed at my rhyme. If he understood I’m sure he would laughed too. Maybe? So were getting close another traffic jam, repeat paragraphs 2-this point. Twice. Ok 3 hours have passed I have a stomach that feels like it’s been eating itself for the last 2 hours and I haven’t eaten for over 14 hours. Father must have heard my stomach noises, or maybe he too was hungry because we found a city, pulled into a St. Mary’s school, and met some people at ate breakfast. That was convenient. Oh ha-ha so the hardboiled eggs. SMASHED well, some of them were. I giggled to myself. Had a few of them anyway and this bun thing. It looks like a roll/bun, looks fresh, but is totally stale on the inside. So deceptive. I miss my doughy American bread. But I spread mango jelly on it and drank my instant coffee. With milk and lots of sugar. I’ll write a whole nother blog on coffee/tea time. PS roommates if you’re reading this, this tea time will be adopted next year at our house.

So we ate and left on the bumpy road to Rajgir. I’m gonna stop talking about traffic for a little while. So we get to this place. Not even out of the car and these kids start trying to sell me books about a place I don’t know I’m at, and candy I can’t spell. But they were good sales people, well they dint make a sale, but they had good technique, poor hygiene though. I think that’s where they lost me. So we get out. Cameras strapped ready for picture domination of this place that had something to do with Buddha. Father got the tickets. 40 Rs each (Rs is Rupee, the Indian currency. Its conversion is 42 to 1 USD) so we paid 1 USD for a ticket here. Cool beans! Ok so we got in line, father forgot to buy a ticket for himself so left the line and got one. So we were separated from him just talking about ELE stuff like Solar panels and electricity and stoves and engineering, total enginerd stuff. I enjoyed it. So we're up next and… OOH WAIT. So in order to get in the line, this is funny, there is a turnstile, kinda looks like a revolving elevator door, but made of metal with an opening for one person only. None of the Indian patrons knew how to use this, so there was a broken metal rusty dirty bar, yah prob wouldn’t recommend licking or rubbing an open wound on it, otherwise, ya know, it was ok. So the people are climbing over this. Ok sure you see young boys and even some older boys, but grandfathers and women in full Indian dress climbing over this. A sight to see. Like imagine grandma, wearing a dress, climbing through a hole in the fence to ride a ride at Geauga Lake. Seriously, I was like no way, she was like yes way, silly American, watch this! Boom

So were about to get on this chair. It was attached to a ski lift. I have pictures to prove this. Although I did drop my camera on the way up. Oops. Still works, just givin her some character. The chairs are metal and the ‘locking mechanism’ is a metal bar that simply sits from one side or another. It was the kinda ‘ride’ that if u fell out, people would read about it and say, in India, wow how dumb is that person, how do u fall out?? In America, the ride would be shut down, person in jail, and a new family would now own the ride. On the way up saw some monkeys, very pettable but couldn’t reach. Got to the top took some random pictures, got a good one of a sign that said no photography permitted. Hah jokes on you, sign, I just took you picture!!