The new democracies

Some years ago, during my epoc of student of Sociology, I assited to one lesson in which the students keep a discusion about if in the future there will be more wars or slowly all the human race will be reaching a global peace like the model of the western europe.
For my sorprise, a huge amount of the class was sharing the idea of all the countries living in peace after some years, imitatin the european and american models. At that tiem, although agaisnt, I couldn't withdraw any idea and stayed quiet, but I didn't stop thinking about it.
Their idea was based on the vision of actual Europe, where we can enjoy a kind of "pax romana" without emperador, in which states follow the dictates of the european central bank and world bank( that follow the dictates of the blind economy, not the blind justice) anbd millions of citizens live following the orders and rules of their comapnies and the mainstream of fashion and society. The freedom rest in the ability to chose the colour of the jacket that you are to wear, without objections.
The vision of this Europe, in which I wish to live, and its conscience, generated by thousand of years of its own culture, that create thousand of charity programs all around the world lead my mates to claim the we were in the vanguard that will rescue the starving masses of the third world, that will create at the end the global peace and will eliminate bad feelings and whises from the surface of earth. That we support the true and it allow us to go to other countries and impose it, rescue them from their cruel traditions and giving the light of the reason and knowledge. With that same idea, the conquer of the world began 500 years ago. After the firs and second world wars, all this countries became independent, unifying territories with the reallity of their colonial past, not with their real needs.
As a result, all this country nowdays are holding a lot of problems in social economical, cultuarl, politic and enviromental aspects. Huge part of the popullation is analfabet, living poorly without minimal helathy standars, with econmies first world dependant, millions of habitants living in a time in which their culture is facin a foreign one, the western that shows the more usefull one to get food and usually with wars, intern and externs.
And this is the reallity that I face in Nepal and India. Kathmandu is just some centimeters above the suburb level, with buildings created in some days for people without any knowledge. Travelling acroos north india I have seen huge works in amazing highways that cut in halves small twon in which time have jsut sttoped to live plastic waste and the somke of the heavy traffic.
But even the education is another problem. Most ot the time given by people without the correct knowledge, is a score one oriented, just to provide the student the scores needed to go abroad and star a new life in another country. INstead of creat people that thinks, they are jsut creating workers that will answer to some situations in the job, nothing left ot the daily life or even in case of not getting the job, like most of the cases. Another problem is that the education is just a copy of the western one. In Nepal is a copy of the brittish system, with just a little adpatation for the new culture. Oxford and Cambridge are educating the third world, that is getting it through small,weak, fine books.
Menawhile, the tourist just reach this place to travle with confortable transport, at least more that the local one, drinking in hte hotel the beer brought from Europe for them and visiting the monuments., without reach really this problems that they of course don't want to face. And for the once with conscience, volunteer project are all around. Paying a dontation you are welcome to work, even if you aren't ready. In most of the cases, they wil just work enoguth to take a picture to show in Europe to their families and friends. The oorganization just stand for the money.
And usually, the tourist are chaeted by the locals working in the touristic sector. But even for them is cheaper, because is still cheap. There are als ocomapnies that offer services with western prices, and better services, but is even more a cheat. Althoug all that have arrived from Europe, the pixed prices haven't been adopted, its the face of the toursit and its ability to bargain what fix the prices.
And something similar happens at governametnal level. Goverments just care about economical problems, to atrack foering capital. Enviromental and social problems will be fixed by western organizations.
And it's here where the rpoblerm begins. Millions of people aroudn the world are growing with a goverment that doesn't offer any basic service in a proper way. For them goverment is nothing more that people taking money from them, a kind of enemy. And if the country holds artifical frontiers, the state will not be jsut a foreing ruling over ones different land, it's also a foreing group of thieves. This is a big seed for comunism, as had already passed in Nepal, wer the population had changed al the politics of a inefficient system for a comunism party that years ago was a revel group. And it's happenig in more countries. The population is showing that they want democracy, that they think will bring prosperity, but it's the economy, not the politics that can bring it. But wath will happen if even this new politics fail? Then, the seed for the anarchy. And even more autocratic states wilkl help more for the black orchid.
But even in Europe, it's happening. Goverments were able to give the sensation to the popullation that the world is wquiet and they can be quiet, but more and more people is becoming more and more unhappy with the goverments, the states, with the privatizations slowly are offering less and less, and more people has to struggle to get the basics( when in a democracy a strong educated and well class media needs to be sustained )
And alos problems with artificila borders also exist. (Spain- Galicia, Euskadi and Cataluna: Turkey- Kurdostan, Canda-Quebec). We have seen what had happen in Argentina, but none cares.
After all, democracy was a succesfull system in ancient greek, were 200 citizens met to talk about their problems, not the ones of the slaves, women or children. NOwdays, 400 lords met to talk about their business, their friends bussiness, and the problems of millions of persons if they affect their bussiness. Of course, the improvement in Europe and America on the last century it's great.
It's with this reallity, that I had seen in the last months, from where I claim the the history is not finishing, and even is more alive than never, with a new russia willing to get power, and also China, with a inestable third world, with islamic extremist everywhere, with the global warming, with more and more people with debts...

Traveling around India (like in the third world)

Since I entered India, I tried to use public transpor that the average indian has to use, not the ones set up for the tourist, so I could get more closer to the indian daily reallity, talking with them, instead of another tourist. But, the reallity that I don't like the reallity that I have seen.
The bus. In the third world, in Nepal is the same, the transport by road is the cheapest way to travel, little bite under the train. But it's the cheapest due to the system that teh companies employ. If a bus departs at seven in the morning, I will appear around there at quarter to seven, to get my ticket and be sit some minutes before the departure. But at the time, the bus doesn't depart. First, because the india, doesn't have a time conception like in Europe, they can arrive to hours late and they don't consider that are getting late. But even once the bus is full, the bus stay quiet. The ticketyer officer, is just waiting for more and more people to the point that all the bus, even the corridors, and roof in Nepal, are full. Your are inside, close to a lot of human beings, suffering from heat, but not because of the 45 degrees outside, jsut because of the human heat inside the bus.
Once the the bus starts the travel, it doesn't follow a trip from A to B. It stops at any city, goes to other cities out of the way jsut to collect more and more people that is put inside the bus like if they were plastic bags.
Meanwhile, the driver just drives the bus as fast as possible, even in narrow streets, pulling the brakesa lot of times, and through the highways, small roads without haouse around, faster and faster, overtaking cars, buses and trucks one after the last, pulling the horn most of the tiem, because around this lands, is the only way to overtake, like saying: " Ey, I'm overtaking you, brake. or I wil;l crahs with the truck that is coming in the other direction"
The jeep is the saem thing, overcrowed, but with the diferences that one passenger, my case in one of my trips, will be close to the driver, with the gearshift between his/her leg, unconfortable.
The train, is something more confortable, but not too much in class sleeper. You can sleep during the trip if the other 99 indians and tourists of your coach let you and the sound and noise of all the stations to which the trains is calling at. Besides, the train is stoping most of the tiem, even without aparent reason. But, was i nthe trains where I got my worst experience travelling aourn India. In my trip from Mughalsarai to Siliguri. I didn't have time to buy a reserved ticket, so I bought a unreserved one. In my guide book, it's written that once in the train, a ticketer officer wil take you to one sit, charging you a little more that you would pay in the station. But that train was overcrowed, not full. I was sharing during ten hours a space in a corridor with other six indias, standing up, without sleep, just because the ticketer officer didn't pay any attention to us. The true is after a change in the officer, the new one toldme to go to the coach at the end of the train, the secon class generenal, to travel with the poor indians, but it was better that the corridor. I got an unreserved ticket, but the other indians were holding perfect valid tickets, but couldn't use them just because of the fullnes of the train and the passivity of the officers. The last seven hours of the trip, I was sitting with really kind indias singin, chatting or trying to sleep.

From the palms to the pines

After two nights in Varanasi, I decided to run away from the hot and go towards Darjeeling. For that, I had to take a train from Mughalsarai, a small town near Vanranasi, to Siliguri, another small city, on the way to the Himalayas and therefore Darjeeling.

When I finished a horrible trip, of which I talk in another section, it was eleven in the morning and I looked for a place to stay and rest for the trip.

At the beginning my idea was go to Darjeeling from Siliguri, with the Toy-train, but there wasn't tickets until the sunday, so after two nights, because of a new attack of diaorrea, I moved from Siliguri by jeep.

Siliguri is a third world city, but charming, not like Varanasi or Agra. It's small, with palms everywhere and views of the hills on the way to the Himalayas.

What most surprises me in Siliguri was the close that the people live with the railways, to the point that's they become the road in some streets, of course with less traffic that the normal strrets for cars.

And right now I'm in Darjeeling. One of the ways to describe this small city is how was the street in where I was yesterday morning. In that street, full of nepalis hindus (altough been in indian territory), I was looking at a colonial building, one of the hundreds that should be around the city, that had in its garden a palm and a pine, just fity metres far away from a mosque. At the same time, as the clouds allow, I could see the near hills, from this hill, higher, sorrounded with clouds, that seems to take the city from the earth to the heaven. The clouds are everywhere, not just around, also in the streets and in the roads, climbing the hill to the top. Like that, parts of the city are not visible for moments from other points. Are this cluods tthe ones that doesn't let me glance to the Himalayas, theorically perfectly visible from this hill. If I had had benn in Switzerland, probably this city would remain me it.

The people is just fabulous. Not like in the rest of India, none come to you to offer you something that you hadn't ask for. They let you alone, but they are ready to help as soon as you ask for help, and with a good knowledge of english, not like in the rest of India.

Yesterday I visited a hindu and buddist temple, got myt permit to Sikkim and today morning I visited to zoo, where I could see betweem others, the snow leopard and bengal tiger, and later the botanical gardens. I wanted to see the sunrise over the HImalayas from a near hill, but it seems imposible with this weather so tomorrow I will be leaveing to Sikkim, where I hope I will see the Himalayas.

Varanasi

After Agra, mi next stop in India was Varanasi, one of the seven holly cities for hindus, famous in the world due to its Gaths, that rest over the Ganga river. The first thing that surprises me in the city was its placement. I was expecting a city in both sides of the river, but just in the west side is placed the city. Over the east, just a huge beach of white sand.
After the war with the ricksaws, get to my hotel and rest a little bit I took a path around the city, following the Ghats. What I felt during this path was the the Ghats are the equivalent in Varanasi to the parks in Europe. Teenagers play criquet. Adults sit and talk . Yes, the city has its narrow streets full of markets and shops with muslims, but is in the Ghats where the soul of the city lies. Also in the Ghats, are the two crematories, where tourist can go and wacth, even from balconies donating money to charities, but never making photograpies, for respect to the families and religious ceremonies.
The next morning, I woke up soon to go in a boat around the Ghats during one hour and a half, with the sunrise, the moment in which all the hindus wish to take a bath. As soon as I arrived to the Ghat I saw hundreds of young people ready to make yoga under the directions of a Guru. Once in hte river, I could sdee how slowly more and more hindus were coming to take the sacre aily bath. What that I thought as a religious ceremony was being undertaken as a party everywhere, with a lot of joy, laughs, thousands of conversations, prayers and bells from the temples. the city was full of life, in its own daily party.
Besides the Ghats, Varanasi is like nay other indian city. Full of chaos, with small narrows streets full of shops with a lot of traffic and smoke. In India, p[eople doesn't have any idea of urbane culture. Inthe streets the smell of fuel is mixed wit hthe one of stool and urine. Due to the amount of tourist that arrive every year, also the cycle-ricksaws and averyone that works in the touristic sector will just trye to deceive you and get money from you.

Taj Mahal

Agra is a small not realy nice city. But I could found things that make the differences with Nepal. At the first glance, Nepal could seem as a copy of India in hte Himalayas, with hindus everywhere and the same caos, but India is flat, has more caos als obecause of the more population and the big difference, the great islamic tradition. I can heard the prayers from the nearest mosque and I'm visiting the Taj Mahal, a islamic tombe.

In Agra, anywhere, there's nothing more than the Taj, and other monuments really expensive too. The Taj Mahal cost 10 pounds.

About hte Taj Mahal, I'm no really happy, I was expecting more. Maybe I was thinking on it as bigger, more brilliant or I don't know... it doesn't mind that isn't worhtly. It is. Sorrounded for huge gardens full of birds, squirrels and flowers, the huge Taj, rest in a marmol cube.

The more carachteristic is that the in the Taj, all the walls have incripstions, made with precious stones, something that just schoks anyone when looking at it.

Kolkata

A lot of things have changed since I arrive to Kathmandu. All my travel plans, my way of thinking, to treat with people and even with children... When I was planning this trip, I never thought on go to Kolkata, since I imagined it as a city full of beggars and sick people around the streets that should be flloded most of the year. But it's now when Kolkata apeeras in my way to Thailand.

I haven't decided yet the rute, but if there's no problems on thursday I will be reciving my Indian visa without problems, around next sunday monday I will be on the way. I don't know if I will go to Darjeling or New Delhi, I got around 20 days to croos India, in its trains, buses or on bicycle ot reach the Indina New York. The other day in the Indian embassy a girl forma Haiti told me that it's a really nice city, full of good architecture, and with godd cienmas, ( she also loves cinema) so probably I won't be able to resist and I will go to the cinema after three months.

But why I'm going to Kolkata?

Well, the first reason it's the prices of the air tickets to Thailand from Nepal and rest of India. Kolkata is the only airort from where a low cost airline flies to Bangkok. I haven't buy the ticket yet, but I'll do once I reach one of the office of the airlien in India.

At the same time, when I was locking how to go to Thailand, I got in my mine another ideas. The first one was cross Burma by land, but one visit to the embassy in which I was told that is forbidden, throw it to the rubbish. the second one, was take a ferry from anywhere around India towards Bangkok, but it doesn't look that it doesn't exist. So I will forget my four months in Kathmandu going to Kolkata.

The second reason isrelated with teh visa and after all with problems in the school. The next week, myvisa expires, I just got right to one fifth month, and I not gonna renew it for spent another month in the school in the actual conditions. Theorically, it won't be a problem since right now I should have my non tourist visa to work in the school. Since I accept to stay to work on my ideas in the school, uring the last five weeks, I haven't done anything. Just go to the school, sit, play chess or football and nothig more special. Whe, after three weeks of inactivity, in which none came to ask me about my ideas, to talk about how to work on them, or just ask me one favour, gime some work or even ask me advice, I complained, and the answer was that they were busy and that they don't really know how to start. I answer that I don't know all the answer and to fix something it's necessary to speak, instead of don't say anything. Anyway, after two weeks and good intentions, the thing is in the same situation, so I'm really thinking if comeback after Thailand to work in the school. At the same time that I wasn' working no information about my visa that was promised or even basic petitions that I made to be able to work were close to become true.

I tried to find myself as a guilty, I certainly my actitude waiting during three weeks could have helped to the actual situation, but nothing else. The principal and subdirector were busy, it's true, and even the principal is going abroad, an so on, busy preparing everything, but I was told to be part of the team, and I was just let in one side.

So, if I'm not staying longer in Thailand or India, whatever the reason, I don't even know If I will come back to the school to try to work on my ideas.

During this long inactivity, I was still going to the orphanage, taking the children to the swiiming pool, with Kevi and a new volunteer, May. One saturday, I got the chance to meet another spanish after three months, from Barcelona, thet were also working in another orphanage, taking the children to the swiming pool.

During the spare time in the school, I have created I chessboard for three players, it's really complicated to play it and aslo read books about central Asia, that makes me think that I will try to come back Europa by land, through the silk road, instead of go by air.

59 kilos

I weight 59 kilos. I knew on Sunday.

On sunday, after woke up at four thirty, I went by walk up to thamel, to hte office of The last Resort. There, I made with another tourist the check-in an later we wnet to take the bus that would take us to the last resort.

As we were leaving Kathmandu valley and getting closer to te chinese border we were crossing mutiple different climae areas, as we were going dwon o up. From the tropical palms to the pines of high mountain and forest that seem from center europe. All in just three hours around narly one hundred kilometres.

And, as were getting closer to the last resort the river valleys were becoming gorges as the hills were becoming mountains. And, at the end we reached the Khole Ghosi gorge. The bus park in one side of the gorge, but to get to the last resort we had to croos a bridge that was more than one hundred sixty metres high over the river. It was quite emocionant cross it.

After cross it we went to the bar of the resort, whewre all together waited for the instructions of the instructors. There were a big gruop of israelites with their semitic noses, the polish drinking beer for breakfast or inviting me to rum-cola in the way back, two californians with their chill out, an irish quite scare and a gruop from Holland, with Jonathan from Haarlem, a nice city close to Amsterdam where me and my brother were close to buy apiano two or three years ago, within them.

After the instructions the monitor made some control, and by the wight of each one we were put in different groups. I was in the first gruop, with tmost of the israelis, the irish and Jonathan plus two american girls. We went to the bridge.

I was one of the last ones. They shout: The 59!!. My turn. One israelu girl scream because she knew that she was the next one. I sit where they ordered me while they were putting the arneses and ropes andtry to calm me down.But didn't really need it. I was taking a sunbath and breathing deeply while waiting, amazing the israelis, I'm spanish, I run in front of he bulls, this is nothing.

After all was ready I came close to the end of the jump platform, Below me 160 metres of free fall towards the river. In the border, whitout really realize I started to sing a piece of one tango, Volver(come back) of carlos Gardel.

After sing, I bent my knees and tried to get impulse, but I couldn't do more than let me fall to the vacuum. After soome milisecons I started to scream, I scream that I dind't control at all. Amazing, espectacular, the sensation. 3 seconds and a half of free falling. Unfortunetly the canyon swing, that offers 8seconds free fall was suspended because of the wind. Anoher time will be.

And then, justcoming back to Kathmandu, under a red full moonbecause of the hot, witha gentle breeze that remained me the Mediterranean sea.