The Taj and the ghats

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After leaving Dan and Gaby's apartment in Gurgaon a few days ago (I don't really remember which day, they all just blend together at this point) I spent a day and a night in Delhi itself, getting a super-cheap room in the backpacker area near the train station for my 6:15am train to Agra the next day. After getting my room and taking care of some stuff for school when I return, I made a visit to Jama Masjid, the largest Mosque in India. Being the only white person there, I was quite popular with everyone... As with my last post, people approached me to shake my hand, ask where I am from, and generally form an audience around a foreigner. At one point I was sitting down taking pictures of some children playing in the courtyard of the mosque with my eye to the camera for about a minute or so, and when I looked up I was surrounded two- or three-deep by curious onlookers. One man who said he was an artist proceded to sketch a picture of me in my notebook (making me look way too Indian) with literally a crowd of people around us watching. This is really quite a strange phenomenon for me, but I much prefer it to the people of, say, Thailand who are really pretty much only interested in your money. I truly cannot say enough about how wonderful the Indian people are.

So on to Agra. Let me preface my experience with the Taj Mahal with my attitude going into it. As silly as it sounds, I was semi-considering skipping Agra and the Taj all together. After spending a week or so in India, I knew what a great country it was, and I figured I could spend the day in someplace better than a sweaty, touristy place like Agra; in my mind the Taj was something similar to the Statue of Liberty or the Eiffel Tower: it isn't a total loss if you go to New York or Paris without seeing either of those, because the respective cities have so much to offer. But then I realized that as much as I have enjoyed this country, I may never come back here, and this is one of the great, if not the greatest building in the world, and I should most definitely see it. And what a shame it would have been if I hadn't gone.

Going in, I was already pissed off that non-Indians had to pay the extra special price of 750 rupees (about 19 dollars) to get in while Indians only pay 20 rupes (50 cents). I don't mind paying more because I don't pay taxes in this country, but I thought paying 37 times more was a bit ridiculous. All those miserable feelings were immediately washed away, though, when I first caught a glimpse of the huge white dome and 4 minarets over the walls of the surrounding structure... I think it was the first time I got goosebumps on this trip solely because of where I was. The adrenaline was pumping as I rounded the corner and saw the building in full view from the perfectly framed approach gate. It was truly and absolutely awe-inspiring.

After taking a few pictures from far away, I walked up to the building itself and strolled around for a while. As amazing as the place is, I don't think it was meant to be taken in up close. One loses the perfect scale and symmetry of the building when staring straight up at it, so I headed back to my starting point and just sat in the shade to take it all in. If I would have known how little Agra had to offer other than this, I would have sat there all day and enjoyed the view.

Then I headed to the Agra Fort, which I'm convinced is just there to suck more money from the tourists who come to see the Taj, and I should have known that after viewing that masterpiece, a fort would be a waste of time. To make a long story short, I spent the rest of the day trying to find things to do before my sleeper train to Varanasi that night.

Buuuuuut of course the train from Agra to Varanasi was full, so I had to get a ticket from Tundla, an hour outside the city. Here's the run-down: tuk-tuk around the city all day, back to the train station to get my bag, then to the bus station, an hour on a cramped state bus to Tundla, then haggling with a tuk-tuk driver to take me to the train station. But I really enjoy what I'm doing, so I guess I can't complain about it. I have learned that half of the fun of traveling is the journey.

Then to Varanasi... here's a quote from Mark Twain about Varanasi that I think sums it all up:
"Varanasi is older than history, older than tradition, older even than legend and looks twice as old as all of them put together"
It is one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities on the planet, and the area near the river shows it. Hindus believe that washing in the Ganges takes away their sins and that dying there ends the cycle of transmigrations that they believe in. Varanasi is the holiest pigrimage destination for Hindus, with over 1 million pilgrims every year. All along the river are ghats, which are basically big steps leading down to the water, and all the ghats have different names and different historical significance.

Here I was able to meet up with Tommy Stryjewski and his fiance Katie Faust, both of whom graduated from LSU with me in December with degrees in Biology. I worked with Tommy for a while in Dr. Cormier's lab in Baton Rouge, and also took a few courses with him. I had a great time with them at the Maruti Guest House (highly recommended!) here in Varanasi, taking a ride on the river at sunrise and touring the ghats and nearby Buddhist temples. I was also in desperate need of some American company... I think that they may have been the first Americans that I have seen in India. You can check out their uber-itinerary here . Needless to say, I'm extremely jealous. It was pretty interesting meeting them all the way around the world from where I last saw them in Baton Rouge, and some of the stories they have told about where they've been in the last four months are absolutely amazing. I was already planning my next trip in my head just from some of their descriptions.

As for the ghats, I don't think it is one of those things that can be easily described in words. The faith that one feels walking around this place, not to mention the history, is absolutely astounding. It is also nice to see that the city itself is relatively clean by Indian standards. After seeing Agra, which was absolutely trashy, Varanasi is really a nice city.

So that brings me to right now, sitting in front of the computer getting eaten alive by mosquitos. There are huge geckos on the wall, but they don't seem to be doing their job of eating all the mozzies. Tomorrow I think I'll try some yoga, since I am staying at the "Maruti Guest House and Yoga Research Center" before heading out by train to somewhere TBD. I can't believe it is less than 10 days until I meet Brent, Megan and Sally in Vienna... I've still got to get all the way to Mumbai, then through Qatar and finally to Austria.

As usual, I look greatly forward to your comments, and enjoy the pictures!

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Comments

[Ms. Donna]

Gnats... ?
I'm thinking that your blog is going to be about large flying insects... and I find that gnats are really steps or something. Who knew? Every time I read another one of your blogs I think that you can't top this one... and yet they get better and better. Thank you for spending so much time really telling the story. I am SO enjoying it. Isn't it amazing that some places actually emit a feeling of history and reverence and faith? At home: we are moving the 'international headquarters' of Crescent Power Systems from Baton Rouge back to Lakeview... on the same day that the Times Pic tells the story that the 17th St. Canal is leaking. What can I say? Life is wierd! Also in the news is that McCain has approached Bobby Jindal about being a running mate in the Presidential election. Don't stay away too long... you never know what will transpire!!! I know Meg is lookng forward to joining you. I'm sure you'll enjoy the company. My boy got his wisdom teech out and is suffering, but will still be leaving for Paris on the 30th. See you soon - much love, Ms. Donna

[Dad]

Time to Return
So I'm reading the latest blogs and checking my schedule to see if we can hook up again in Rome, or Vienna or maybe you'll just let me carry your backpack if I promise not to hold you back too much this time or get in the way and I really can do without AirCon and boom-boom massages and a good map, but then I realize you're two thirds of the way home and it's too late for this trip but maybe next trip next summer when you return to New Zealand to really explore the south island, or perhaps the next trip should be some place really exotic like Gabon or the Seychelles or you might change your mind about MedSchool and I'll figure out what I really want to do for a living and decide to teach Shop with GPa at Delgado and get three months a year off and your Mom can get a twelve-month job and we'll live off the fat-o-the-land and eat roasted crickets and Indian goat crap and then we can do this every year! (McGannon would be impressed to see you diagram that sentence structure- did I ever tell you about my Intensive Writing class?) Keep the cards and letters coming in; no more Caddyshack or Airplane quips, time to move up to the top of the list: Office Space, and if you feel worthy, The Jerk. Dad

[Sally]

so I am currently in Denver, Co and wishing more so than ever that I was already in Austria meeting up with you. I just realized today how close it is till we will be meeting up with you! J

[Sally]

I got cut off....read the other one first
Just a random fact for you: Mosquitoes have forty-seven teeth. They do not use these to bite, however. Instead, they have a proboscis, which is a tubular appendage.

[Jimmy]

Hey man
I bet you've heard this enough but I can't believe all the places and things you are seeing and doing. I love that new pic of you...you look "in the moment" a true traveler if that makes sense. I guess this counts as a real "adventure" (wink). All the best bud.