Varanasi
This is going to be a tough one. I had just finished this one yesterday and lost it pretty much as soon as I was done. It also seems to be a bit difficult to write about a place once you have moved on. So with that said, this is not being written in Varanasi, but Rishikesh.
Even when I was composing the first one, I found my experience in Varanasi very hard to put into words, but I will try once again. My journey to Varanasi like most you will see started with a wonderfuly long train ride. My ride started around 5:00am from a place called New Jalpaiguri. Once again I made sure that I went to the correct seat. To my surprise, I booked myself on an AC car. Of course, this was definately a treat. Such a difference between the AC and the fan. I do have to say that it was a little too cold, but that was ok. The AC cars seem to be not as social as the others. Each compartment is closed off by curtains so as not to lose the precious AC. I settled myself in and immeadietly went back to sleep. Woke up a few hours later to the bustle of the train. In my cabin were three Indian men. Only one who could speak english. He turned out to be a proffesor at the university in Varanasi. We had some pretty good conversations. One in particular stands out. He is a Geology proffesor and has traveled all over India. I asked him where was his most favorite place to visit. His response still makes me smile. He said that his home was Varanasi and that was his favotite place. He said the best place is where your friends are and that are other places are wonderful to visit and spend some time, but there is nothing like the place where your friends and family are. This made me smile so much. I have had so much time to think as I have been traveling and the one thing that keeps comming up is all of you. I just keep thinking that I might be the luckiest person ever to have such wonderful friends and family in my life. Each and every one of you is so amazing. I just want to say that I am so honored to have you all in my life. You all rule.
Still on the train. After all, it was about a twenty hour ride. The trains are pretty amazing regarding the view and the country side that you pass by. So many little villages. It seems like these vilages have stood still in time. So primitive, but so increadibly beautiful. Clay and straw huts, Ox tilling the soil, and such cool irrigation systems. The woman in India seem to work the hardest and it was the woman that I mostly saw working the land. It is so beautiful to see the woman out in the fields with their brightly colored sari's. I left my compartment for a bit to stand at the door and watch the land as the train went along. As I stood, we passed by the most beautiful village that I had seen. The huts were all so beautiful, it just looked like the most put together village that I had seen. I have to say that there were a few moments where I thought about jumping off and and just disapearing into this little farming community. Of course I did't. After all, don't you think it might hurt just a bit to jump from a moving train. So with that, I went back to my seat and waited for my arrival to Varanasi.
I arrived at the train station in Varanasi sometime around 11:30pm and thought it best to stay somewhere close to the train station. I ended up staying at a pretty nice hotel that actually had a pool. Woke up the next morning to a scorching day decided that there was no hurry whatsoever to get into the city. So I sat at the pool for most of the day. You see, I don't think there are many pools in India. I just had to take advantage. I spent most of the day at the pool and left sometime around 4:00. I took an auto rickshaw to the old city where I got dropped off at Assi Ghat. Varanasi is lined with ghats that run the lenght of the city along the Ganga river. Assi Ghat is the last ghat and the most mellow of all the ghats. Maybe I should start with a little history of Varanasi and the Ghats.
Varanasi is the city of Shiva. Shiva is known as the destroyer as well as the creator and he is worshiped in the form of the lingam. Varanasi is one of the holiest cities in India. Hindu pilgrams come wash away all their sins in the Ganges. The city is the heart of the Hindu universe, a crossing place between the physical and spiritual worlds, amd the Ganges is viewed as the river of salvation. Like I said earlier, the main attraction to Varanasi is the ghats which line the Ganges. Most of the ghats are used for bathing but thare are a couple that are used as burning ghats where they creamate the dead in open view. Assi Ghat where I stayed is in the middle of construction. It seems like they are making it longer. To watch them work on it was amazing. All of the stone is hand carved. The whole thing is built as they did hundreds of years ago.
Now, a little about life in Varanasi. First of all, it is so hot, can't really describe the heat, just constant sweating. The power goes out all the time. Pretty scary when you find yourself in an alley way with no light. There are cows everywhere. Well, there are just cows everywhere in India. Again, not too many tourists around so it was mostly me and Varanasi. So far on my trip in India, Varanasi was the hardest place that I have been. Most likely why I find it hard to write about. Unfortunitly, my white skin makes me a walking dollor. I really couldn't go anywhere without someone trying to sell me something. I couldn't even have a friendly conversation with someone where at the end they didn't try and wisk me off to there silk shop. It was definately a challange. At the end, I just had to pretty much ignore everyone that crossed my path. It just got to be very tiring. So with that said, it was time for me to move on. With that said, the beginning of another journey and yet another train ride.
Just wanted to say again, that you are all truly amazing. I wish I could give everyone of you the biggest hug ever. Maybe you could all close your eyes and inagine the biggest hug ever.
Again, I hope you are all smiling, I definately am.
I love you all so much.
Thanks for reading,
h
This is going to be a tough one. I had just finished this one yesterday and lost it pretty much as soon as I was done. It also seems to be a bit difficult to write about a place once you have moved on. So with that said, this is not being written in Varanasi, but Rishikesh.
Even when I was composing the first one, I found my experience in Varanasi very hard to put into words, but I will try once again. My journey to Varanasi like most you will see started with a wonderfuly long train ride. My ride started around 5:00am from a place called New Jalpaiguri. Once again I made sure that I went to the correct seat. To my surprise, I booked myself on an AC car. Of course, this was definately a treat. Such a difference between the AC and the fan. I do have to say that it was a little too cold, but that was ok. The AC cars seem to be not as social as the others. Each compartment is closed off by curtains so as not to lose the precious AC. I settled myself in and immeadietly went back to sleep. Woke up a few hours later to the bustle of the train. In my cabin were three Indian men. Only one who could speak english. He turned out to be a proffesor at the university in Varanasi. We had some pretty good conversations. One in particular stands out. He is a Geology proffesor and has traveled all over India. I asked him where was his most favorite place to visit. His response still makes me smile. He said that his home was Varanasi and that was his favotite place. He said the best place is where your friends are and that are other places are wonderful to visit and spend some time, but there is nothing like the place where your friends and family are. This made me smile so much. I have had so much time to think as I have been traveling and the one thing that keeps comming up is all of you. I just keep thinking that I might be the luckiest person ever to have such wonderful friends and family in my life. Each and every one of you is so amazing. I just want to say that I am so honored to have you all in my life. You all rule.
Still on the train. After all, it was about a twenty hour ride. The trains are pretty amazing regarding the view and the country side that you pass by. So many little villages. It seems like these vilages have stood still in time. So primitive, but so increadibly beautiful. Clay and straw huts, Ox tilling the soil, and such cool irrigation systems. The woman in India seem to work the hardest and it was the woman that I mostly saw working the land. It is so beautiful to see the woman out in the fields with their brightly colored sari's. I left my compartment for a bit to stand at the door and watch the land as the train went along. As I stood, we passed by the most beautiful village that I had seen. The huts were all so beautiful, it just looked like the most put together village that I had seen. I have to say that there were a few moments where I thought about jumping off and and just disapearing into this little farming community. Of course I did't. After all, don't you think it might hurt just a bit to jump from a moving train. So with that, I went back to my seat and waited for my arrival to Varanasi.
I arrived at the train station in Varanasi sometime around 11:30pm and thought it best to stay somewhere close to the train station. I ended up staying at a pretty nice hotel that actually had a pool. Woke up the next morning to a scorching day decided that there was no hurry whatsoever to get into the city. So I sat at the pool for most of the day. You see, I don't think there are many pools in India. I just had to take advantage. I spent most of the day at the pool and left sometime around 4:00. I took an auto rickshaw to the old city where I got dropped off at Assi Ghat. Varanasi is lined with ghats that run the lenght of the city along the Ganga river. Assi Ghat is the last ghat and the most mellow of all the ghats. Maybe I should start with a little history of Varanasi and the Ghats.
Varanasi is the city of Shiva. Shiva is known as the destroyer as well as the creator and he is worshiped in the form of the lingam. Varanasi is one of the holiest cities in India. Hindu pilgrams come wash away all their sins in the Ganges. The city is the heart of the Hindu universe, a crossing place between the physical and spiritual worlds, amd the Ganges is viewed as the river of salvation. Like I said earlier, the main attraction to Varanasi is the ghats which line the Ganges. Most of the ghats are used for bathing but thare are a couple that are used as burning ghats where they creamate the dead in open view. Assi Ghat where I stayed is in the middle of construction. It seems like they are making it longer. To watch them work on it was amazing. All of the stone is hand carved. The whole thing is built as they did hundreds of years ago.
Now, a little about life in Varanasi. First of all, it is so hot, can't really describe the heat, just constant sweating. The power goes out all the time. Pretty scary when you find yourself in an alley way with no light. There are cows everywhere. Well, there are just cows everywhere in India. Again, not too many tourists around so it was mostly me and Varanasi. So far on my trip in India, Varanasi was the hardest place that I have been. Most likely why I find it hard to write about. Unfortunitly, my white skin makes me a walking dollor. I really couldn't go anywhere without someone trying to sell me something. I couldn't even have a friendly conversation with someone where at the end they didn't try and wisk me off to there silk shop. It was definately a challange. At the end, I just had to pretty much ignore everyone that crossed my path. It just got to be very tiring. So with that said, it was time for me to move on. With that said, the beginning of another journey and yet another train ride.
Just wanted to say again, that you are all truly amazing. I wish I could give everyone of you the biggest hug ever. Maybe you could all close your eyes and inagine the biggest hug ever.
Again, I hope you are all smiling, I definately am.
I love you all so much.
Thanks for reading,
h