old tiger's Blog

I visited hundreds of temples..in India..
every time it was an experience..
if you ever go to India..you'll all be stunned...
to visit these places of worship...
http://www.templenet.com/
Tiger

So..nobody reacted...so..I will keep this journal going..
with information and links about India alone..
it really takes a LIFETIME to understand India..
I hope..I can still learn a lot..it's a fascinating place..
So..I hope you all will treasure these links..

http://www.ammachi.org/amma/index.html


Tiger

so..after 3 days Shillong..and lots of visits to Ruby's relatives..
we went back by bus again to Guwahati..I recall very vividly..
a place inbetween Shillong-Guwahati called Nongpoh..
it's a Khasi place..the Khasi women wear special skirts..
I recall their fruit,vegeatable stalls in Nongpoh..bus always..
makes a short stopover there..very welcome after a bustrip..
so...we finally arrived back in Dispur-Guwahati..
it's a crowded place..directly on the mighty Bhrahmaputra river..
in the rainy season..very often this river causes flood havoc..
Assam gets lots of rain..good for the tea plantations..
we took a bus out of Guwahati direction Nowgong-Jorhat-Sibsagar..
and finally Ruby's home town Dibrugarh..we passed Kaziranga..
Kaziranga naturepark is worldwide famous for the rhino's..
after Jakalabanda..the tea estates start..it's a pleasure for the eyes..
nature overwhelmed me in Assam...we were very tired after that bus
trip...I felt bit awkward..meeting Ruby's family..her mother..
and 7 brothers+1 sister which was based in Calcutta..
flying as an airhostess for Indian airlines......she died in 1991...
I was accepted from the first day..into this extended family..
we made several visits around Dibrugarh town,visited family friends..
the crowded colourful bazar with my(future)mother in law...
a very nice lady she was..everybody knew her in town..
I stayed 3 weeks in Dibrugarh..picnics on the Brahmaputra..
a visit to Margherita..Sibsagar..Jorhat..a tea planters residence..
every day was filled with social visits etc...Assamese folks..
are very outgoing and friendly people..I've been back to Assam
maybe 4 times after marriage...and every time it's different..
my travelling years were gonna come to an end...we went back
to Jaipur by train again..tiresome 3 days train trip..
I stayed a while again in Ruby's place..then set off to New Delhi..
I was going home..I had been almost 7 or 8 months in India...
the trip back home..I'm not gonna tell you all over again..
it's the same journey as I came to India..
I reached Belgium..I believe in march..and believe it or not..
I got a job in house construction..I had to..
because Ruby was gonna come over to marry me..
a household needs money...my gypsie years were over..
december 1976..I started working in the dusty coalmine..good money..
hard job..but the friendship down there..touched my gypsie heart..
I lost a friend in an accident in 1986..he died in front of our eyes..
he was not dead on the spot..but he was stuck with his head under
some heavy machinery..when we put him on the transport belt...
he was bleeding out of his ears..we knew..he was gonna die..
he was 28..left a wife...and 2 young kids..
I don't wanna talk about it..it hurts my inside..life can be hard..
that was another adventure..20 years down at 789 meters..
I can write a book about it as well..I would start all over again...
the coalmines closed down around 1996..pity..I liked the job..
Ruby came to Belgium in july 1976..but we got only married...
on my birthday=15th march 1977...I even had to go..
to bloody court..to ask permission to marry her...
Belgian authorities asked a birth certificate..
which she did NOT have..in India one does not keep these things??
the judge in court..he just smiled...and said...get married,dude...
our wedding was a simple civilian ceremony with ring exchanges..
Ruby's mother+her sister came over from India...
I don't know..whether I will continue this thread..
after marriage..we still travelled to Tsjechia,Poland,Hungary,
Norway,U.S.A,Iceland,Malta,U.K,Thailand,Nepal,Bangladesj..
and a few times to India again..what do you think,peeps..
shall I stop here???or continue reporting the trips we made??
just give your comments...or P/M me..
I think...I'm gonna keep this thread open..
and put links about India in it..in that way..it's useful..
for future travellers to India..
by the way..i'm over 30 years married...
and now...I'm bit of a P.C addict...and a motorbiker..
I still TRAVELL around..it's in my blood..
so..peeps..this was it..I'm waiting for your comments...
I thank you ALL for having the patience..to read my journal..
crazy Tiger

I have got very strong feelings for Assam..
not only is my wife Assamese..
but the people..the nature..it's simply beyond words..
crazy Tiger

http://www.assamtourism.org/gettingtoassam.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Assam
http://www.theindiatravel.com/cityguide/state/assam/tezpur.html

So..me and Ruby..and one of her brothers..
who joined us at Guwahati..took that bus..
towards the hilly station Shillong..a true experience...
it's an incredible road..it has not 1 stretch of straight road..
it's one curve from outskirts Guwahati to Shillong..
would be great on a motorbike...woohh..
Shillong is the capital of the Meghalaya State..
in North East India..Shillong is a hill station(1496m)
often called Scotland of the East..I've been there
a few times..local tribal people are the Khasis..
mostly Catholic..and matrilineal system there...
that means..property and wealth goes on through
the female line..great people though..
Shillong has got no cycle rickshaws..to steep roads
around Shillong great scenery to be seen..
Ward Lake..Crinoline Falls..Shillong Peak etc..
visit Bara Bazar(Shillong)for local Khasi jewelry..
http://www.north-east-india.com/meghalaya/shillong.html
you will see Khasi women there in typical dress..
Cherrapunji is know to be the place with the heaviest
rainfall in the world..actually it's now a place near to
Cherrapunji..with a very difficult name=Mawsynram..
oh...and in Shillong..I stayed at Ruby's aunts place..
in the bazar..I took *tamul paan*smells horrible..
they warned me..you'll get high...oh...well??
crazy tiger