ON THE ROAD TO INDIA

By Aubrey W.A. Weldon, Esq.

©1987,Aubre Publishing Company

At the beginning of this adventure, the most trivial task to do was to get from San Francisco to Los Angeles. Easy, right! Wrong! I thought that I would use my usual native insight and prow ness by arriving at the airport at least an hour and one half before flight time, or more like "fight time."

Well, Marie, a most wonderful woman, got me to the airport around 5.30 p.m. I went to the long line at the PSA counter, though it moved quickly, I had expected to be standing and waiting for quite some time. The ticket agent was efficient and pleasant. I immediately had her place my frequent flyer number on my ticket so I would get mileage credit for the trip. That’s me, never drop a beat!

My plane was not scheduled to leave until 7 p.m.; however, there was a flight leaving at 6 p.m., so I thought 1 would go for it. The agent gave me a standby number and I proceeded through the security baggage area. By the way, just before I entered the area, I pass a small shoeshine stand where a group of people was watching the 49er game on television. I looked for a brief moment and asked the score, it was twenty zip 49gers. That was good news.

I proceeded through the security area and headed for gate four (4). I told the ticket agent that I was a standby passenger. He. said, "Fine, give me your ticket and I will see if I can get you on. I gave him my ticket and went over to sit down next to a strange looking woman, somewhat un-kept, what the hell, we can't all be perfect models of western idealism.

I took out my travel insurance form and made out a check for $55.00 for $1000.00 worth of insurance. I didn't feel to good about this trip because my travel agent left me few assurances that there would be no problems. As a matter of fact, she was quite skeptical about everything concerning the trip. My confidence had been shaken from the outset, but that's not difficult to do. Prior to booking the trip, the price was increased, and it was cut shorter but no fare decrease. Then, about a month before leaving, she called and told me that if I wanted to fly to Singapore from San Francisco, I would have to pay $50.00 more. The trip was advertised as leaving from San Francisco. Of course I had already paid the complete price for the entire trip and San Francisco was where I leaving from. I was told that absent the additional $50.00, I would have to fly Out of Los Angeles. This little trick did not surprise me because it just happened to me on a special trip package with PSA to Tahiti. It was suppose to leave from San Francisco but I had to go to Los Angeles first. Interesting wor1d isn’t it!

Nevertheless, it was a short time later when the ticket agent called out the standbys and I was the first one on the list. This plane was to leave at 6 p.m.; however, it was now 6:20 p.m. when the names on standby were being called out. Thank Ronald Reagan for deregulation!

While waiting to board, a startling announcement came over the, public address system. "All PSA passengers on the 7 p.m. flight to Los Angeles with international connections please report to gate #2." I immediately grabbed my bags and headed for the gate. At that gate, we were rudely told that the plane for 7 p.m. might have mechanical problems and that we must be booked on a flight leaving at 6:35 p.m., at gate #8 for Los Angeles.

I told the man that I was already on standby and had been given a seat on the 6 p.m. flight, which had not left, and it was 6:00 p.m. He said, "You re all set then." I said, "0.k., I will stay on that flight." I proceeded back to the gate #2 area to wait For the 6 p.m. flight to leave.

At 6:27 p.m., the agent at gate 2 made the following announcement: " The, 6:00 p.m. flight would be delayed further because they didn't have a flight crew, that the one scheduled for that flight was out of hours. Just as this announcement was being made some Looney tune came up to me and said, "What did he say?" I said, "he said we have another fuck up as usual" and I immediately gather my bags and headed for gate #8.

At gate #8 I explain the problem to the agent, a nice female, even though the situation was frantic. She booked me on that flight which was to leave at 6:35 p.m., it had just arrived from Las Vegas and would need to be cleaned and refueled before departure. It was 6:30 p.m.

I decided to wonder back over to gate #4 to see how that catastrophe was progressing. Just as I stepped into the boarding area, they started the boarding announcement for passengers with small children and those passengers needing special assistance. I walk over to the ticket counter to see if my seat had been taken. It was gone! He said that I could wait and see if a seat was left over.

Well, I had enough excitement for one evening, so I decided to stick it out at gate #8 come hell or high water. The boarding procedures at gate #8 started around 6: 50 p.m. I found my seat and promptly started to read my book called "The Day the Universe Changed by James Burke." The plane finally taxied to the runway around 7:10 p.m. and we were air born around 7: 2 0 p.m.

It was a nice flight. Very fast! It felt like we were in the air less than forty (40) minutes. Impossible! There was this little kid sitting in front of me who was having a joy of a lifetime watching the plane take off and providing a blow by blow description all the way. When we landed in Los Angeles, he shouted "touchdown," just as the wheels hit the ground. What a joy! It would be great to be young again but wise as well.

We arrived at the Los Angeles Airport around 8:15 p.m., which meant that I had 15 minutes to check in at the international terminal at Singapore Airlines, " a great way to fly." I caught the L.A. Terminal Shuttle Bus to the international terminal. I promptly mailed by travel insurance and proceeded to the Singapore Airline ticket counter. (When I return from my trip, the travel insurance had been returned; I forgot to put a stamp on it!) It was par for the course thus far. As I stepped up to the counter, I notice that the agents were handing out leaflets to the waiting passengers. When I checked in, I was given a seat assignment and handed one of the leaflets.

The leaflet read as follows, in part: "The flight number #47 from Singapore was delayed due to bad weather conditions in Taiwan." I thought to myself that this would probably be only a short delay. Wrong! The plane would not arrive until the next day. So much for optimism!

We were given hotel accommodations at the Airport Hilton, and they paid for dinner and breakfast. There was also an agent at the hotel to answer all of our questions and to send messages to our destinations or other concerned parties. She was incredible. She acted like a spaced out junky, but at the same time being very cool about it. She had a vague, bland answer for all possible probabilities and the unpredictable. Too much!

I called Marie in San Francisco and told her what had happened. We discussed my next course of action. She is good at damage control. After we finish talking, I went to dinner which wasn't too bad, and then promptly headed for my room with a nice glass of white wine and retired for the evening. I was in pretty good spirits and the room was comfortable.

The next morning I was up around 8:00 a.m. I showered, shaved and shampooed and then went down for breakfast. The waiter tried to charge me more than the voucher provided for but I got him straighten out in a hurry. The breakfast was ok but certainly not the quality the price indicated.

Well, I had to wait unti1 12:30 p.m. to return to the airport for a 3 p.m. flight to Honolulu, then to Taipei and on to Singapore. So I went for a Jacuzzi and a swim. The water was hot but nice in the Jacuzzi, and the swimming pool was only a little cool. It felt wonderful!

Later, I returned to my room. My San Francisco Travel agent had returned my call so I called them back collect. There was Maria on the line, trying to keep me up to date in damage control. She is a strange women, probably should not be in the travel business because she does not convey very much confidence in foreign travel. She has probably never been to these places she sends clients and lacks the confidence to speak with authority on the various issue that will pop up.

After arriving at the airport, I went to the duty free shop to get a couple of traveling companions, scotch and vodka. Not to my surprise, further complications. It turns out that because the plane is landing in Honolulu (another American State), I could not buy booze unless it was shipped all the way to Taipei. So what else was new! Everything that had happened up to that point was simply a comedy of nonsense but predictable. So I went to the airport bar and paid highway robbery prices for cheap booze. I only had a couple of drinks before going to the boarding area and reading my book.

We boarded the plane around 2:50 p.m. It was a very orderly process. The service on board was efficient and pleasant. Yes, the Singapore girls live up to the expectations created in the airline commercial for Singapore Airlines. They were extremely attractive and petit. Smooth looking skin, small features and adequately curved bodies. Well, time for dinner. I am having duck, no trout left, only beef and duck. It's now two thirty-five Honolulu time and four thirty-five San Francisco time.

We arrived in Honolulu at 6:40 p.m. local Lime, 8:40 p.m. California time. We were in the air for about five hours and forty-five minutes. I had read my book, listen to music, and drank white wine most of the way. The service by the crew was outstanding. As we landed, I glanced out the window to see the skyline of Honolulu. It was all lit up like a Christmas tree. The fountainhead of American capitalist dream. The plane landed very smoothly, Captain Chow was on his job!

We were permitted to go inside of the airport for about twenty-five minutes. I went to one of the small shops to find something to read. Not much to select from, so I bought a candy bar, a Butterfinger, some peanuts, m&ms, a pen and a newspaper (Honolulu Times?). I then went next door and bought a box of chocolate covered Macadamia nuts, don't know why, it sounded good. I hurried back to gate 25 with my little green transit pass and re-entered the loading area. I had a few minutes, so I called Marie in San Francisco. It was good to hear her voice. I didn’t have long to talk because the plane was preparing to leave.

We left Honolulu at 8:25 p.m. The plane was delayed because of late arriving cargo. We were now on our way to Taipei, somewhere in the Pacific. I didn't have the foggiest idea where but we were on our way. Around 9:30 p.m., I felt that it was time to go to bed, so I made a sign that read, "no dinner”, and placed it on my window shade. I then put my earplugs in, covered myself with two blankets, position my pillow and tried to sleep. I must have slept for a long time because when I woke up, my watch read 4:30 a.m. Honolulu time or 630 a.m. San Francisco time, Tuesday morning.

The stewards were serving dinner again. Seem kind of strange to have two dinners in a row. This time I had to eat shrimp, bread, coffee, and a real sweet dessert. I didn't want to eat but according to my body, it was breakfast time. Outside of the plane, you could not see a thing. It was pitch black. Here I was, somewhere lost in time. Gee, things are so relative, this experience of changing frames of reference.

The light over my seat will not stay on. I have to keep pushing on it to write, sometimes having to hold it on. This was an inconvenience. Just a few comments about the stewardesses. A male steward is in charge of the crew. The Singapore women were tall. All of them appeared to be married because they wore wedding bands. They looked very Chinese. Their last names sounded Chinese, yet some of the first names were American. I believe some were from Hawaii. They could be tall Japanese women. The smiles were pleasing and their bodies were slim, very slim, like a matchstick. They had bad little cruppers that sort of hopped up in the air when they walked. There must be an interesting history behind this organized development and it was different. They kept dashing in and out of the galley and each time they would pull the curtain shut. This went on all the time; it was like going on and off stage. They seemed to work well. as a team. I did not see a cross word between them at any time.

I just looked out the window, it is still dark and my watch reads it is ten minutes to six a.m. We are to arrive in Taipei at 1:50 a.m. on Wednesday. I can't figure it out yet, that is, how did I lose Tuesday. We landed in Taipei at 1:00 in the morning after a ten hour and forty minute flight from Honolulu. The airport was a modern, very high ceiling, looked like they were filled with asbestos and it was full of Taiwanese (read Chinese). The environment was very sterile. There was museum exhibit oil Chinese calligraphy, but all the other concessions were closed.

We boarded the plane again around 2:15 a.m. and headed for Singapore. We changed crews again but the flavor of the personnel was the same. What time is it in the U.S. right now? Well, it goes this way; it's now 2:45 a.m. Wednesday morning the 30 of December 1987. I left Los Angeles 16 hours late due to delay. I left Los Angeles at 3:00 p.m. Monday evening, December 28th, 1987. We arrived in Honolulu five hours and forty minutes later but it was 6:40 p.m. (Now here's the trip on the body consciousness; the body said it was 8:40 p.m. We left Honolulu at 8:40 p.m. Honolulu time, 10:15 p.m. body time.)

Now, we arrived in Taipei on Wednesday morning December 30, which means we lost Tuesday somewhere between Honolulu and Taipei. (Goodbye Tuesday); however, body time says it's 10 hours and 40 minutes later than the true time we left Honolulu which is now 8:15 a.m. Tuesday morning, but Tuesday is lost at sea. So what happened to the body when mind time changes? We will soon find out. We have been flying in the dark since just before arriving in Honolulu. Tuesday is lost in the darkness by international agreement, but nobody told the body.

So when we arrived in Singapore at 6:40 a.m. after a 4 hour and 30 minute flight, the body will be saying, "it's Tuesday 12:40 p.m. while the mind is saying it's Wednesday 6:40 a.m. in the morning, a big 18 hour discrepancy. We spend a total of about 15 hours in darkness, with 2 one-hour layovers, 17 hours of darkness all together. That's where we lost Tuesday, in the dark. Eureka!!!!

When will I get I get Delhi? Don't know yet, but the body will be somewhere on California time and day. A normal darkness hour in California is about 12 hours - 6 p.m. to 6 a.m. So the extra 4 and one half hours of darkness are attributed to another day by agreement between countries.

I’m having a glass of wine at 3:15 a.m. Wednesday, which is really 10:15 a.m. Tuesday in San Francisco, so when I arrive in Singapore at 6:40 a.m. it will be 12:40 p.m. in San Francisco, Tuesday. Well, it all sounds right.

Well, we arrived at the Singapore airport at 7 a.m. Just as we arrived they announced my name over the loud speaker to check with the ground crew. This has been one of my most interesting trips. It feels really strange. Nothing seems to be going right, but at the same time, it’s not too bad. Singapore Airlines is doing all they can to keep me happy. After getting my new schedule for my trip into India, they gave me a room at the Shanghai Meridian Hotel to wait in. Getting there was another comedy of errors. The taxi driver was about 55 years old and spoke no English. I showed him my voucher for the hotel. He looked at it. Then he asked another taxi drive for its location. They said something that I didn't understand.

I got into the cab and received a wonderful tour of Singapore; the first hotel we went to was the Pavilion that was wrong. That's what the cab driver thought he heard. I showed him the voucher again and told him it said Meridian Shanghai. He acted as if knew where it was and headed for another hotel. It was the Meridian, but it was the Meridian Singapore. The hotel people told him that the Meridian Shanghai was near the airport where I had just landed. So we headed back where we came from. I finally arrived at the correct hotel at 9:15 a.m. I don't know what they paid the cab, but the meter was well over $25.

The hotel was beautiful. I was given a meal voucher for breakfast, lunch and dinner. I wi11 be at this hotel until around 4.30 p.m. They put me on an 8:40 p.m. flight for Bangkok on Thai, Airlines then on to New Delhi. I'm supposed to be in New Delhi around midnight on the morning of the 31st of December. Then, I thought, this will give me one day in New

Delhi before starting Off to Agra and Jaipur; however, I should see Delhi, on the way back because I'm supposed to have an 11-hour layover before the flight to Singapore. Anything could happen on this trip!

After checking into the hotel, I watched part of a movie on the television called "Streets of Fire" and then I went to the steam room. It felt great! It cost $5.00. I didn't expect a charge. There was some India woman who tried to proposition me on a sexual massage for $40.00. I refused the pressure and left. This type of garbage goes on throughout the world especially in French hotels. I went for a walk after lunch in the immediate area. I saw some interesting ships and also walked along the beach. It was about 75 degrees.

I returned to the hotel around 3:45 and I watched a little more television, “Sesame Street". It was amusing. I left for the airport around 4:30 p.m., expecting more hassles; however, it wasn't too bad. After getting my ticket I went to the bar and had a couple of screwdrivers. There were two guys there from Sweden and another American. They were all disgusted with their air travel experiences. I finally got some duty free booze.

We boarded the plane for Bangkok around 8:00 p.m. The flight time to Bangkok was 1 hour and 55 minutes. There was a very stinky Australian sitting next to me and a large bearded Indian with his prayer beads was about to flip out about something. It looked like I'm heading for a big change. The flight from Singapore to Bangkok was uneventful besides smelling the man next to me. I listened to good jazz and fell asleep. I woke up just before the plane started to land in Bangkok. The plane was met by busses, which transferred us to the main terminal. There, we were issued new hoardings passes for the Thai Air trip to Delhi. It is now 10:40 p.m. Thailand time though my watch says it's 11:40. Oops! Just lost an hour. This is crazy!

There is really a strange looking group of people heading for India, all walks of life, Thai, Indian, English, etc. I have been the only Black male on this trip since its inception. I wonder why. There are probably a thousand reasons but who cares at this point. Oops! I spoke too soon, a black couple just walked in to the boarding area. You know if I didn't have an Anglo-Saxon

education the subject would be irrelevant: to wit, race,

America's cancer!

The flight from Bangkok to New Delhi was uneventful except for the prudish English couple that I had the unfortunate pleasure to be sitting next to. I could be wrong in my impressions, but when I went to sit down, the man was sitting in the aisle seat with his wife sitting in the center. I had requested a window seat. After I was seated he had his woman exchange seats with him saying to me that it would be more comfortable that way. I had no reaction except to think, who gives a shit and fuck you very much. I promptly went to sleep. 1 didn't speak to the couple of yo-yos through the rest of the trip. As I said before I could have been wrong in my impressions and misinterpreted the entire matter. I have a tendency to create drama where there is none. I suppose I should have said something about it, but my impressions were comforting to me so that's the reality I created, right or wrong.

I must have slept quite hard because I wasn't given a disembarkation card by the stewardess, which is normal and routine. As the plane slowly dropped from the sky, I

noticed we were landing into a fog-like substance. The Delhi Airport was very small. It was sitting in a mist, very dreamy looking. We deplaned and headed to customs. I was about the third person in line when I suddenly realized I had no disembarkation card. So I had to leave the line and go to the rear and fi11 out one. It was no big deal, but the other passengers thought something was wrong. Customs can be a very nasty place to go through in terms of being questioned by the officials, but I normally have no problems regardless of the places to which I have traveled.

I finished filling out the form and proceeded through the exit where I had my bags sent through X-rays for further checks. As I walked into the public area, I was met by my guide who came up to me and said, "Are you Mr. Aubrey Weldon?" I said, yes. He said, "I am Jacinta, and I will be your guide". We walked out into the mist, which by the way was fog but it smelled like an electrical burning wires. The guide was about 5 feel 8 inches, wore a coat and tie on and spoke good English. He also wore glasses and had a mustache. He was a graduate in accounting and had recently joined Zutichi Travel as a guide. A private car was waiting. The driver was asleep under a blanket in the back seat. It was 2:00 a.m. Delhi time.

The guide told me that because of the delay, all my air flights in India had been cancelled and I would be traveling by private car to Agra and Jaipur. I would be in Delhi for two nights then to Agra for one night and then to Jaipur for two nights. Then I would return to Delhi for the trip back to Singapore. I doubted the last part because of Singapore Airline. I lost a lot of confidence in that airline though they did every thing possible to make my trip work.

We arrived at the Taj Palace Hotel around 4 a.m. The place was surely a palace. Beautiful in its design, very large ceilings, many nice artifacts, very very plush. I was checked in and taken to my room. It was beautifully appointed. All the modern amenities you could ask for. I was being treated like a king. I couldn't stand it. I went to bed around 5:00 a.m. After trying to call Marie several times. I could not get through.

I woke up about 10:30 a.m. and looked out over the swimming pool that was large and beautiful. A few couples were sitting around the pool. A light mist still hung in the air. I ordered breakfast from room service, my usual cheese omelet and hot chocolate. The food arrived quite promptly and it was good. While 1 was eating I had the television on. A movie called “Scanners" was on. I vaguely remember seeing it a long time ago. It was about people who could attach himself or herself mentally to another person’s nervous system and do weird things like kill them. And there was some company created by scientists to take over the world by populating the earth with scanners. I guess this was a horror movie. I watched it while I got dressed for my afternoon tour of Delhi.

My guide arrived promptly at 2:00 p.m. I went-down to the cashier and exchanged American money for Rupees, which were about 12 rupees and 55 to the American dollar, or 12.75 to the Rupee if you use traveler’s checks. The guide introduced me to my sightseeing guide and took me out to our private car where I met the driver. A very old man who I was to find out later loves to drive with his horn.

The tour guides name was Shanti, which means peace. He was about 65 years old, had a degree in economics, and was a teacher of handicrafts. He spoke pretty good English but came across as untrustworthy. He was pleasant in a strange way, but at the same time very unassuming in his stature. We headed for old Delhi, which was around before the British came on the scene. Our first stop was at the Gandhi memorial, the place where Mohandas Gandhi was cremated. It was a shrine with an eternal flame burning. You had to take off your shoes to walk around the grounds. A lot of Indians were present and I stuck out like a sore thumb. The Indians were interested in looking at me as well.

One little girl smiled as she passed by me and said, Negro. She was cute. I didn't know what to think except that she was shy and curious. I took a couple of pictures and we left. From there we went to a great big fort. I guess it's called the Red Fort, the place where a great Indian king lived in the fourteenth century. It was huge. The guide said that he was the same king that built the Taj Mahal. The architecture on the inside was Moorish (African), who once occupied India (news to me). Very high curved arches within arches. There was also some Greek influence in the design. A strange thing happened while we were walking through the ruins. I was about to mention to the guide about the Moorish looking architecture I had seen on a program about Spain, when my guide turned to me and said, "Moorish". It must have been just a matter of timing. I don't know, but I had the feeling that he was reading my mind.

We walked the grounds looking at the king's palace for his harem, his flower garden, his mosque, and the barracks built by the British when they look over in the 18th century. Indian troops occupied the barracks today. The guide mentioned that there are 750 million Indians in India, 80% of them are Hindu and the rest are Moslems and Jewish. The Moslem influence is because of the Africans. But for slavery, and America, I could have been a Moslem if I had been horn in Africa. I said to my guide, "I am an American of African decent with an English education and a passing acquaintance with the Christian religion. For what it's worth, a child of slavery.

The guide said that India had never had slavery, but that some Indians were place into slavery in other countries. I mentioned to him about the Indian influence in Africa. It made sense now. Africa was once a great empire (Moorish) extended into Spain, Rome, India, etc. until they were ran out by the barbarians from Europe and Mongolia. What an eye opening experience.

We returned to the car, which had to be pushed to start. I accidentally broke the door handle while helping to push. It finally started and we drove to Old Delhi, a thriving Mecca of humanity surviving in dirt crude capitalism. The place was unclean and the people were poor, but their spirits were high. It was like watching a bumblebee hive. All the worker bees swarming all over each other, trying to make a living. The little streets were filled with rickshaws, bicycles, and horn blasting taxis. The smell wasn't too bad but memorable.

We stopped at a rug company for the soft sale routine. I didn't buy it. Then I was taken to another small shop where I did buy something for Marie and Virginia. We left the shop to go to the Imperial Hotel for a Rotary meeting; however it as cancelled because of New Years Eve. They met the day before. I left a Daly City Rotary flag and received confirmation for a make-up card, which would be mailed, back to my club. I was then taken back to the hotel. It was around 5 p.m. There, I had a Turkish bath and went to dinner. The meal was wonderful. Cooked Lobster, Chinese vegetable, Chicken Fried Rice, yes, you guessed it a (Chinese restaurant in an Indian Hotel. First of its kind. I also had sonic mineral water and two scotch sevens. After the meal, I was feeling no pain. The lobby was filled with Indians getting ready to celebrate New Years Eve. I sat in the lobby for a while and had a pipe. I finally went to bed around 9 :00 p.m.; I was too sleepy to bring in the New Year in a day early.

I woke up around 4:30 a.m. and started to write. I tried to call Marie. The call would not go through. I just booked the call with the long distance operator and now waiting to see if I could get through. I would love to hear her voice. Today, we went on our second tour. We saw all the government buildings and a great Mogul temple in mosque made by the Taj for one of his wives. Also, we saw the original Delhi city, which was Hindu before being overrun by the Moslems. We stopped at a handicrafts place where I wanted to purchase a ring for my 43rd birthday. I didn't purchase it at that time. The items in the shop were beautiful.

We arrived back at the hotel at noontime. I had lunch in the hotel restaurant "Isfain". Then I sat by the pool for a short time. It was there I decided to catch a cab and go back to the emporium to get my ring. It was a tough decision, 350 American dollars. When I returned to the hotel I had a sauna and a massage. This was the best massage I have had in my life. This guy put each part of my body to sleep until I could feel nothing. It was great. After the massage I went back for more steam and hot water. Harbin Hot Spring all over again.

That night I had dinner in the Indian restaurant; Very spicy food. Also, there was Indian entertainment. I retired early because the next morning I was leaving early for Agra. We left for Agra around 9:00 a.m. The road to Agra was filled with biblical scenes.

The road was poor and had all types of traffic. The driving was crazy. It was the horns in the attack. An incredible spiritual existence. We arrived at the Mogul

Sheraton Hotel around 12:30 p.m. We had picked up an English

speaking guide at another great temple just outside of Agra.

He spoke reasonably good English, a little fast, but

understandable. After lunch we headed for

the Taj Mahal (means crown palace). What a sight to behold! It was breathtaking, as if you were standing before a god. You could feel the love flowing from all angles. This man truly loved his wife. The feelings I had there were difficult to describe. I just wanted to sit and look at it.

We went inside and looked at the tombs of the people buried there. The guide showed me with a flashlight how each piece of stone was placed. There were stones from Belgium, the black ones, and stones from India. Nothing was painted. All of the stones were inlaid, a true masterpiece. After we left the Taj we stopped at a small stone shop were the work of inlaid stones was demonstrated. I bought a few small pieces and a box with the Taj on it. I returned to the hotel and watched a movie; it was about skydivers attacking a castle to rescue a kidnapped family. I went to dinner around 8:30 p.m. The meal was great, very fresh chicken, fresh carrots, string beans, potatoes, boiled eggs, and an orange drink.

After dinner I went to see the hotel astrologer. He was very good. When he finished my chart I guessed what his sign was. He was born in October and I was right. He told me the story of my life from beginning to end. He was right on with the number of children, the divorce, and future financial success. I am a complete spiritual being - read shyness. He said I should put more emphasis on spiritual existence (religion). I went to bed around 9:30 and saw another movie, "Officer and Gentleman". I woke up at 7:10 a.m. ordered breakfast and got ready to go.

I checked out of the hotel at 8:00 a.m. I went to see another temple in Agra where the guide argued with another guide about who would show me the temple. Very interesting and strange place. On the road to Jaipur the trip was uneventful except for rough roads. Again the streets were filled with biblical life. In America, we know so little of this 1ife. There is no such thing as time because humanity is infinite. Only the frames of references change over the period we call centuries. We stopped at a small motel in the middle of nowhere for lunch. The food was bad, but the soda was good. After lunch we continued down the road

towards the pink city, the capital of Rajasthanstan,

Jaipur. By the way, we stopped at a bird sanctuary in route

to Jaipur. Birds from Russia, China, Africa, and Europe come

to this area during migration season. It was an interesting

place to see.

We arrived in Jaipur at another Taj Palace Hotel around 2:00 p.m. The driver got lost a couple of times and there was trouble with the car engine. It stopped about 4 times in the middle of traffic. The trouble appeared to be electrical. The hotel was built like the Taj Mahal. It was very beautiful. I was given room 340. Very nice room, green colors, twin bed, table, sofa, chair and a television. The bathroom was spacious and the water pressure was strong. The afternoon was for leisure so I took a walk into town. It was interesting, the people would look at me and I would look at them, both in amazement. The streets were dirty and most of the people were dirty, but their spirits were high. I must have walked about 2 miles. The city was complex yet simple.

One of the most surprising aspects about this religious country is the predicament of the men. There's no premarital sex and the woman are not treated equally with men. The men are extremely female lake. They liked me because of my black skin. I was different. It wasn't a sexual like. It was like a love for another person simply as a person. I was intrigued. They don't give much attention to physical. It was more spiritual. They are worked very hard and what little time is left for sex life is masturbation. That was very, very sad, but they didn't seem to mind. In once sense I understood it, yet in another l found it repulsive.

I went to bed around 11:30 p.m. a little bit wiser and a little confused. I had dinner in the hotel, nothing fancy, chicken and French fries. The movie on the television was not that good. I don't remember what it was. I woke around 7:30 a.m., showered and went to breakfast. I had eggs, fruit and chocolate. The guide arrived around 8:55 a.m. We went to see the pink city and a great palace built by the Maharaja. It was a pink palace and most of the down town buildings were also pink. We took an elephant ride to the top of the hill where the palace was located. It was definitely a palace. The design was beautiful, glass and stone together, large gardens, spacious rooms. It was built during the 16th century. After leaving the palace we stopped at a jeweler's shop. It seems that all the precious stones come from India. I saw how the stones looked when they were mined and how they were polished and made into a ring. Incredible!

Side note: The women I had seen on this trip except in Singapore wore real bad looking, unattractive, including the tourists from other countries. I can't wait to see Marie, God I miss her! I will be glad when the divorce shit is over. What a bummer!

After leaving the factory we returned to the hotel for lunch. It seems like 40% of the population is in the stone industry. The men are a sad lot. Thank god for America! Well, it’s time for lunch. I'm eating outside in the sun. There are a couple of Indians near me. One has a cobra snake and the other has a mongoose. They wanted me to pay them to watch the mongoose and snake fight. I ignored them.

After lunch I watched an old movie on TV and waited for the other half of the tour to start. Around 2:15 p.m. we left for the second part of the tour. The first stop was the astronomical center. It has a 17th century sundial including the largest in the world and also structures used to find positions of planets. Astrology is taken very seriously in India. This was very impressive. One sundial kept time within 11 minutes, one within 26 minutes, and the largest, sundial in the world within 2 minutes.

From there we went to the museum of history. It had paintings and books dating back to the 11th and 12th century. The Maharanesh were still living in part of the museum. The paintings and rugs used to be kept at the Palace Amer. There was also a display of clothes worn at that time and the various types of weapons. It was a time of humanity when monarchs ruled completely. It was all very impressive. On the way back to the hotel, we stopped at a rug-making factory. It was amazing!

Children were winding yarn. Children were making rugs and children were putting the finishing touches on the rugs. It was an early American type sweatshop. The children were seven and ten years old. They worked about 10 hours a day, seven days a week. The rugs were beautiful. Each design represented a different color of thread placed in there by the little fingers of the children. They start training at seven years old. What an abomination! The use of young boys in India for labor is shocking! The male child rings supreme and are favored. There was evidence that they still practice infanticide there. Everywhere you looked, males, males, males. I know the law is being changed or has changed to stop killing the female babies, but one look tells you otherwise. My God, ease me back into the 20th century as we know it.

Yes, there's a lot of history here but it can be frightening to see what the level of human existence can be. We returned to the hotel around 5:00 p.m. The guide was pretty good. He was an educated man, seemed to be dissatisfied with his lot yet trying to make a good show. That evening I didn't have dinner. I fell asleep in my room and decided to rest all evening and night watching television. A lot of reruns from America. Since I've been here I have seen the movie called "The Great White Hope", "The, Man From Uncle," "Different Strokes", and "Matt Houston. 1

I also saw "McQueen", "Simon and Simon", "The Million Dollar Man", "The Fonz" and a couple of American detective programs. I believe these programs are put on for the hotel guest only. Most of the programs are English.

I woke up around 7:30 the next morning, went down to breakfast at 8.15 a.m. and returned to my room and watched more television. My driver would not be there until 12 noon and I was going to check out at the same time. The driver was there and ready to go. We're off to Delhi. On the road I read two magazines, "Time" and "Newsweek". The driving was as crazy as ever, horns in the attack. Incredible order emerging from chaos. We made only one stop for about 15 minutes. I got a soda and a horrible cheese sandwich, and then back on the road again.

We arrived in Delhi around 5 p.m. He took me directly to the airport. I didn't know that I couldn't get into the airport until 8:00 p.m., so 1 took a cab to the nearest hotel, fifty rupees minimum fare. My driver asked me if I wanted to wait at a hotel, but I ignored his wisdom and paid for it in the end, but what else is new. I didn't ask enough questions. I ended up at the Centuria hotel about two miles from the airport. I felt that the best way to wait was over cocktails and to do a little writing to catch up with my journal. So, I'm now waiting for my flight to Singapore, which leaves at 11:15 p.m. tonight. I hope to hell it leaves! You never know when you're flying internationally, especially where you lost a whole day in the process. We wait. I wait. This is where the intrigue starts. The Indian International Airport is like a small fort. A bunch of intimidating assholes with little else to do than impersonate life. I refuse to let this place frustrate me. I can see why Jesus Christ found the guidance he needed from this place. The spirit must transcend because the body is in a world of hurt.

I left for the airport from Centuria hotel around 8:00 p.m. The check-in went smooth. Customs wasn't too bad. I had to pay 100 rupee for the departure tax. The guide from the tour company showed up to make

sure everything went well. After he left, tragedy struck, I couldn't find my pipe. I must have lost it at the hotel or it was stolen. I called the hotel three times but they couldn't find it. I left my home address in the event they found it. I strongly believe it was stolen by one of the locals. Marie bought me that pipe and I really loved it. I bought a replacement pipe to ease the pain.

We finally started our boarding around 10:45 p.m. Before I left, I had to get rid of all my rupees. The airport duty free area would only accept foreign currency. Interesting, a country rejecting its own currency. I had no use for the three hundred or so rupees so I gave them to the bartender. He said that that amount represented a week's salary for him, three hundred rupees. The flight, SQ77, left about 11.35 p.m. The flight would be about 4 hours 45 minutes. We would gain three hours on the clock at the same time. The flight was uneventful, the food was atrocious and the movie was "Superman". I didn't eat much food and I slept through the movie.

We landed in Singapore around 6:50 a.m. The trip to customs wasn’t too bad and all concerned greeted me very nicely. It was great to be back in civilization. A clean place to stay. Cleanliness should be next to godliness. The hotel is wonderful, 73 floors. I ordered breakfast and took a nap for a couple of hours afterwards. I will be here only one night. The view from my 23rd floor is magnificent. The service is friendly and professional. What a change! The Chinese have got their shit together! Almost everything in the room was automated and digital.

I woke up around 2:30 p.m., shave and showered. I decided to take a walking tour of Singapore. There were six different tours. I decided to try four of them. The first tour took you past St. Andrew's Church, one of the oldest in Singapore, then past the Parliament House and the Supreme Court. There was a large field, which was part of the Cricket Club, which was another old historical building. Then I walked down to the Singapore River, which ran through the town. The rest of the tour took me throughout the downtown area where I saw forts, temples, and large shopping centers. Also, I rode the MRI (Metropolitan Rail Transit), which makes BART look like shit. It was a wonderful system, clean, smoothly run, and is much better than BART though Bart’s seats are more comfortable. Their system was built by Kawasaki.

I got back to the hotel around 8 p.m. and had a shrimp salad for dinner. After that I went to my room and watched a movie and some television. The TV program was "Jake and the Fat Man". Pretty Good! The movie was "Cloak and Dagger", also pretty good. I read a while and then fell asleep around 1:00 a.m. I woke up around 7:30 a.m. It was good. After breakfast I went down to the pool and got into the hot tub and then I sunned for a couple of hours. I started packing around 12:00 p.m. and headed for the airport around 1:45 p.m.

The flight left for Hong Kong around 4:30, I didn't know I was going to Hong Kong, very interesting. When this trip is over I wi11 have flown over 25,000 miles. This has truly been an adventure. I feel better about the world and myself. As soon as the domestic battle is resolved I will be in the ready and forward mode.

My objective in the future will be to make money, travel, lecture, and help others experience their human potential. Some day I will build a temple dedicated to world understanding and the one source of all. I would like to create a spiritualism that will pull the world together under one light of everlasting love. A word that truly describes the "it", "the all that is", energy essence. I am unhappy with Christianity, Buddhism, Hinduism, and all the other isms. The Bahia faith sounds interesting but I don't want a religion that requires meetings. Once a year for fellowship otherwise people must live free.

To experience spiritualism that makes the body and spirit one with nature and the universe One that holds the freedom of humanities right to expand its consciousness forever. None of the current religions do that for me. For this is what I believe. And I call my belief the Rajasthan faith:

1. I believe in energy essence and I believe in everlasting life and that all humanity is born free to seek energy essence within them.

2. I believe that there was not a beginning of mankind nor is there an ending.

3. I don't believe in time. All energy essence is timeless.

4. I believe that life is everlasting and expanding.

5. I believe that weather changes and the earth changes affect human existence and always have.

6. I believe that all life in the world has evolved simultaneously only affected by weather and geography.

7. I believe that I am a part of energy essence and that I am a part of all things and humanity.

8. I believe that the purpose of life as we know it is to experience energy essence within us and to help others find and know the same through meditation.

9. I believe that the essence of life is spiritual (energy).

10. I believe that all rules and customs regulating life by a church are for the power and existence of the church only.

11. I believe that the only way to live life is to find energy essence within and to follow that energy as it dictates our life and to choose those experiences, which exposes that energy.

12. I believe that the only reality in life is direct experience of energy essence.

In your world this would be THE END, but in mine it is only the beginning.