Been a busy 30 hours or so since i last wrote and frenetic India is some change from the relaxed atmosphere of Thailand. after spending 8 hours hanging out in airports yesterday, finally descended down towards the city of Patna in North-eastern India, staring out the airplane into the night air, dumbstruck by the intense, fiery bursts of blue, green, yellow, gold and red fireworks exploding through the enitre city laid out before my eyes. It seems as if a war was on, but instead it was Deepavali, festival of lights. This festival Celebrates the victory of the epic hero Rama over his demonic adversary Ravana in the world famous and one of the most ancient known good vs. evil stories in the world, the Ramayana. After locating accomodation, I ventured into the streets to discover the sources of the blasts and found peoples consumed with devotional activities as well as their unleashing of fireworks. I was rapidly subsumed in a crowd after attempting conversation with one particularly jolly looking fellow. Mine and the crowds language abilities did not overlap, our comunication was limited. Suddenly, a middle aged half-drunken looking unshaven man grabbed me by the head, leaned foward and kissed me full on the cheek. I burst out laughing. This was something of an icebreaker. Soon i was being fed the ceremonial lentil meal and joining in devotional activities in front of Rama, Sita and Ravana effigies, being shown around, shaking dozens of hands, people suggesting good photo angles, anxious to take me this way or that. After a while i tore myself away from the crowds and found a modest looking restaurant, though suprised by its dark interior, i wasn't at all prepared for what was to come. Still on a gentle high from the festivities, i mildly concurred when the manager insisted i order extra dishes for 'gravy'. This was a mistake. The food seemed to take hours to come and i began chatting to some fellow diners. The 3rd fellow i spoke kept bluntly insisting i go to his house, despite my polite declinations and i became slightly perturbed. He was explaining the vast and unequivocal superiority of Australia to India and i found myself in the unusual position of suggesting he have more nationalistic appreication of his nations vast history and culture. And he kept babbling to me in Hindi although he knew i couldnt understand. My friendliness was getting me nowhere. In the end the manager had to split us up, and when i made to go outside to escape the oppressive restaurant atmosphere & observe the fireworks, there was a general panic among staff who perhaps assumed i was leaving without taking my food. they viturally tried to wrestle me back inside and seemed dead at ears to my reasonable appeals that i simply wanted step out for a moment. I finally raised my voice at them (disturbed by their instrusion upon my basic personal freedoms) and then the way magically parted so i stepped out. While outside i noticed something i hadn't seen before in three previous trips to India, two of the female waitresses, retiring upstairs with a couple of diners. It seemed our insistent restaurant manager was also a pimp. when the food finally came i feasted, the edgy waiters approaching me ever couple of minutes to see there was nothing i needed. The bill was excessive but i paid and was happy to be out of the place, with some curry packed away for brekky. Why couldn't thse guys relax, or open their ears for a second. i thought. The next day (today) has been spent touring the town of Patna with a lost & confused auto-rickshaw driver, visiting a sacred Sikh temple, climbing an 18th centrury granary for a view over town, glimpsing the ruins of an ancient buddhist city, joining Deepavali devotees in the citys main Hindu temple. My friedliness with locals seemed to be interpreted as a opening for cash and had to be tough again rashly parting from some of my new 'friends' who insistently tried to lead me around. At last the kids seemed to appreictae my attempts at warmth. I really need to improve my Hindi. with a i declined two offers of entry to a musuem and archaeological park, entry fees marked up 2000% and 5000% over the Indian price- too much for a budget travelling student like me. Whatever happened to the idea that history and culture should be free (or close to it) for all humanity to learn of & enjoy? As you can probly tell, i'm still adjusting to India, high & lows, but tomorrow Nepal is waiting and i expect it to be different again, at least in places outside Kathmandu be in touch again soon Callum