-- Bodhgaya

I left the Janashakti Auto Workshop the 14/12 around 07:50 to go direct to the border. I took one day in advance with road plan into account Mouna & Lolo’s suggestions traveling in Land Rover and Irwin’s advice of Janashakti not to take the mountain road, the pass being snow-covered. I arrived at the border post of Nepal in Birganj about 16:00 after two stops in Naubise to fill the tank with diesel and in Narayangath to have lunch. I should inform me to find the customs office to make fill the Carnet de Passage en Douane. The formalities took approximately thirty minutes; the truck was not visited. I continued towards the border post of India located at less than one kilometer in an indescribable mob of rickshaws. A truck driver indicated me the carpark to park during the formalities. I went to the office of immigration located below the road, I should pay a tax of 100 INR. Then accompanied by official I went to change the Nepalese currency at a changer in the street. The operation was very simple; there are a table of exchange and a taking away of a commission. Then I turned over to the entry to make fill the Carnet de Passage en Douane. There too the truck was not visited. I turned over to the truck the night started to fall; it was 17:15. I should quickly find a parking not to roll during the night. The main street in Raxaul is completely smashed and of course, there is no street lighting. Between rickshaws, bicycles, handcarts or drawn by oxen, I arrived to a service area at the exit of the city. I parked my truck with the help of Indian drivers.

The 15/12 about 09:00, I left the carpark when the day was completely raised and the fog a little dissipated. The road is completely battered up to ten kilometers after Motihari. I arrived at Muzaffarpur around 15:00 and in Hajipur about 16:00, it was time to find a carpark for the night, the fog started to fall. I took the first service area at the entry of the city. There too I was the object of all solicitudes and curiosity of Indian drivers. I went for a short walk on foot along the street and stopped to eat a vegetarian slipper for 2 INR, that is to say 0.4 cents of euro.
The first day on the move in India was in conformity so that I had thought about it; roads in bad condition, irrational traffic, trucks, public buses, rickshaws, tuktuks, bicycles and pedestrians cohabited on the roadway.

The 16/12 around 9:30 I progressed towards Bodhgaya with the intention to take the NH83. However, on indication of local drivers I took a small road that brought me to Masaurhi, where I joined the NH83. The crossing of Gaya was very painful by small streets where passing was each time a test of patience. Finally, I arrived in Bodhgaya about 17:00 little before the night. I found a parking along a park close to the center town that I went to recognize on foot.

Sunday 17/12 at the end in the morning, I visited the Mahabodhi temple that was built at the place of the awakening to transcendental wisdom (bodhi) of Prince Gautama Siddharta who became Bouddha (illuminated). Thus, Bodhgaya is regarded as the starting point of Buddhism. The city is a village of approximately 30,000 inhabitants place of an important pilgrimage of Buddhism followers. Moreover, it receives much visitors as well Indian as foreign.
The countries of Asia having a large Buddhist population built temples in agreement with their national architecture. The set constitutes an architectural museum of which the most representative are those of Japan and Thailand.

I became acquainted with a Swiss co-operator, Cédric Tineo, who devotes his activity of independent consultant to teach, to develop data-processing laboratories in schools and to create documentary and marketing films. I had with him a long meeting of exchange of information on his activity and future prospects of the Indian Union. He is very optimistic for the present generation of the students who is freed from the Indian ancestral culture. Data-processing specialist, he gave me useful advice for the publication of my website.