the stupa

Yesterday I went to the stupa, about 14 km away from here, via motorcycle. I have a new appreciation for drivers here. First, the roads are tiny, about a lane and a half. The good news is that the cars are also tiny however they share the road with bicyclers, pedestrians, dogs, and motorcycles. The roads are also intermittently paved so the driver is constantly avoiding potholes, sudden disappearance of pavement, resumtion of pavement and the occasional rock. In addition, they drive on the left side of the road. I found myself peering over Tamdrin, whose motorcycle it was, trying to help steer until I finally realized my fate was truly in the hands of God or gods, as the case may be. I had no helmet, no leathers to protect me. So, if I was meant to survive, brain such as it is, I would, and if I wasn't meant to survive, I wouldn't. And finally, the wind, the zipping through traffic dodging about began to kick in and I couldn't stop smiling. I have new appreciation for the horn. It is a necessary part of negotiating the streets. You beep when you find a smooth stretch of road and can go fast warning everyone you are flying down the road. You beep when you come up behind a pedestrian. You beep when an oncoming car, bus or motorcycle is in your lane passing his obstacles. You beep when you want to turn as there are no stopsigns or stoplights and if there were, it is questionable whether anyone would mind them. You beep when the errant dog wanders into the street. You beep when you are passing any or all of the above. It is a joyful sound indicating movement. Driving here is a bit like skiing down a very rocky slope. Dodging, shifting, moving, flying a bit, slowing down, all is part of the process. And the beeping, of course.