9/10: Bodh Gaya

We changed hotels. We are now staying on the other side of town, though it only takes about 15 minutes to walk there. This place feels more like a homestay, especially since we are the only people staying there. Noah and I each have our own rooms. . The Gupta Hotel is on the edge of town. You have to walk on a muddy road to get there. In front of the hotel are tethered a cow and horse, with a couple of goats roaming about. We have intermittent electricity. This is the view from my balcony (I love balconies).



I found a restaurant that serves coffee without sugar. This is the view from my restaurant. They also make delicious dahl, bhat, sabji (lentils rice and vegetables) and papadam for 75 cents. Noah said yesterday at dinner, "It will probably be good for me to not eat meat for a while." As I am writing this, I just witnessed my third funeral. First comes the drums, then four people carrying the body covered with flowers, then the procession of people following.

With thousands of pilgrims a day, they far outnumber the locals. Bodh Gaya is still a village, with many dirt roads, and cows, goats, dogs and pigs wandering the streets. There are flies and the smell of shit everywhere. You definitely have to watch where you step.

The quotes I woke up to this morning:

"It's not about letting go of attachments, but holding them more gently."

"We do not have to improve ourselves; we just have to let go of what blocks our heart." (Jack Kornfield)

"Wholeness does not mean perfection; it means embracing brokenness as an integral part of life." (Parker Palmer)