rishikesh-delhi-gorakhpur-nepal-gorakhpur-varanasi

after two weeks practice with the shouting master in rishikesh, i wanted to go on a night train from haridwar to gorakhpur in the northern provinces. but the train which i had booked was running eight hours late. so i went on a night train to delhi instead. the next night i wanted to go on a night train to gorakhpur, but i confused the train which i had booked with another train to the same destination with a similar train number. as a result, i slept one night in delhi. the next night i succeded to board the right train, which brought me to gorakhpur. after leaving this train in gorakhpur, i sat two-and-half hours in a bus which stopped right at the border of nepal. it took me less then five minutes to walk into nepal. then i slept one night in nepal. in the morning i rose up early enough to go for a walk through the paddies. i stopped at a bridge where i had a short conversation with an armed soldier and a rikshaw-driver while looking at mt.daulgiri and mt.annapurna, both higher than 8000 meters, above the horizon in the distance. then i turned around and walked across the border back into india. i got on a bus to gorakhpur and there i boarded a night train. the following morning i woke up before dawn in varanasi (benares). when i walked out of the train-station, there was thunder. then there was a lightning flash. the next moment it begann pouring down. after the rain had stopped, i started to walk. after half an hour i reached the ancient part of the city. i tried to find the bank of the river ganges, but i wa lost for almost an hour in the maze of the narrow lanes. suddenly i stepped into an opening in the dense urban fabric near aurangazeb's mosque. it felt like stepping into a clearing in the forest. i crossed over to the other side of the opening from where i could see the huge space of the curving river. then i noticed that the night had ended and that the sun was about to rise.