Lumbini, Nepal
December 17th 2010
I was on the fence about visiting Lumbini, the birthplace of Buddha. But after a 9-hour bus ride from Kathmandu to Bhairawa, I decided to make an extra 1-hour journey to Lumbini. Stayed the night there before going to check out the temple the next morning, which had a greenish stone encased in bulletproof glass marking the spot where Buddha was born. Kushinagar, in India, near Gorakphur, was where he died and was cremated but I doubt I’ll be making a stop there.
(The exact spot where Buddha was born. Don’t believe me?)
(I told you…)
Gorakphur, India
December 18th 2010
After getting to the Nepal-India border and crossing it, I took a 2-hour sardine-jeep ride to Gorakphur. Stayed the night there to wait for my early morning train the next day.