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Published: April 19th 2006
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Sunday night was the sleeper train from Agra to Varanasi, at 8.30pm!
For the record... Indian stations are almost as exciting as Indian Cinemas. Straight out of something by Rudyard Kipling, lots of noise, lots of people and general pandemonium.
We swaned through it all with porters carrying out luggage on their heads, and cooled our heels for a while on the platform.
I bought a bull whip off a trader on the platform, (who gave me a demonstration on it's effective crack pottential), much to the amusement of the rest of the group, and then bought another for Adrian, (which concerned them more I reckon)!
Far as I'm concerned it's my best buy so far!
I never expected the sleeping car to be overly luxurious, but apparently everyone else did! Recently there have been a few grumps and sulks from certain individuals, (which goes back to me saying that Nadines sulk the other day was bad for group Moral), and generally the fact we were going to be spending the next 14 hours travelling battery chicken class was not pleasing quite a few folk.
Basically the arrangement is that there are compartment spaces with
two long chairs facing each other in each which turn into a bed. Above these, (where you might expect to find luggage space), there is another bed, and in between both is a further bed that folds out from the wall. So we're talking 6 sleeping to each compartment. We had 6 spaces together, and then a further 2 further down the train.
Though it would encroach on my drinking plans I opted to take one of the seperate top beds, (anticipating otherwise an argument ensuing as to who was going to get those), and assumed Vipal would take the other. Surprisingly though Nadine opted to take the other instead. The rest of our compartment was occupied by an Indian family, who I think first of all looked a bit non plussed at our sharing, but learnt to live with it.
If there is one thing I've learned it's that Indian children are not backward at coming forward, so later that night, as the train rattled and swung along, and I tried to climb up and crawl into my sleeping space, and contort myself around, the little boy in the bunk below stuck his head up to look
into my bunk and chose that moment to discuss English premiership football with me! He would probably have done that all night had his mother not eventually woken up, scolded him and told him to get back to bed, (least I'm assuming that's what she said)!
I'm a great one for synchonicity and the belief that things tend to work out for me, so though initially I thought the seperate sleeping arrangements were the raw deal, (us being away from our group), it all worked out fine cos the Indian family left the train in the middle of the night. So when I woke up in the morning at 6am, I had only Nadine sharing the compartment with me, which meant I could climb out of my claustrophobic top bunk, and lounge around on the bottom bunk with plenty of room, read, listen to music, and eventually just chat to Nadine when she woke up.
We arrived in Varanasi at 11am, and when I walked down to see how everyone else was they were not as bright and perky as us, (all looked generally pissed off... Including Vipal). Micheal had a strop in the Hotel cos the rooms wer'nt ready on our arrival, and Glenn had a go at the waiters in the restaurant when our late breakfast became even later due to their slow service. Like I said, the group is not in good temper, but to date I am still fine. (Oh except for a little incident where I thought I'd left my mobile on the train... which we won't go in to)!
I knew this would be a hard trip from the start, and for me the Sleeper train was an adventure!
So Now were in Varanasi!
NOTE… Picturesquely situated on the crescent shaped left bank of the holy Ganga, Varanasi, one of the ancient seats of learning in India, is said to be a compound of the names of two streams, the Varuna and the Assi, which still flow in the north and south of the city respectively. This name seems to have been corrupted, in medieval times to Banaras, which was in use till May 24, 1956 when it was changed to Varanasi, by an order of the Government of India. Varanasi is probably one of the most ancient living cities in India. From time immemorial it has been a great religious center for Hindus and one of their most sacred places of pilgrimage, being visited by millions of people every year. Varanasi apparently is the holiest place in India, (yeah I know I said Pushkar was the other day but just try and forget that). Vipal describes it as 'cow shit and temples' but also as his interpretation of the 'real India'. If your view of India is squalour, overcrowding, bad smells, and poverty then Varanasi probably fits that bill the best of everywhere I've been. The smog is choking, (like a lot of Indian cities), and my lungs are looking forward to the Himalayas. That said Varanasi is one of those 'must see' places you see listed. In the Hindu faith to die in Varanasi means you automatically reach Nirvarna, so it is not only the place to die, but to be cremated also, (I'm not selling this to you am I)?
Last night we went down to the Ganges to watch a very impressive ceremony where ritual chanting and prayer was done on the steps, (ghats), by the river, we all lit little floating tea lights and put them in the water, and then there were fireworks. (Bought my T light off a 6 year old girl who drove a very hard bargain)!
We had dinner in the city in a little place down a lot of winding dark back alleys, (deffinitly not worth writing home about), and then came back on the most exciting Tuk Tuk ride to date. Our driver veared off the main road and scooted through all the little alleyways knocking pedestrians and cows out the way. At one stage he had to jerry rig his machine when the clutch cable broke, so eventually he just tied the wire to his Tuk Tuk, and worked it with his foot. (One day Universal studios will hit on the idea of a Virtual Reality Tuk Tuk ride... BUT I'VE DONE THE REAL THING)!
Actually I'm too used to the traffic now. Odds are my first day back next week I'm going to walk out the airport, step into the road and get knocked over by a bus!
This morning it was an early start for a boat ride on the Ganges to see the dawn ceremony. (Somehow suspect Karina at work would never accept the health and safety risk assessment on the rowing boat we were all piled into)!
NOTE…Pilgrims flock the Ghats to have a ritual bath and perform puja to the rising sun, following centuries old tradition. The Dasashvamedh Ghat offers a splendid view of the river front. This is the ghat of the 10 (Das) horses (shiva) sacrificed (medh). Legend has it that it was performed by Brahma to pave way for Shiva’s return to Varanasi after a spell of banishment. A sight that has remained unchanged and unspoilt-by time, wars or even man himself. Other special ghats are the Asi, Barnasangam, Panchganga and Manikarnika, Ghats. Wasn't quite what I'd hoped for in that there was thick fog today, but that gave the whole thing an eery quality as we floated by the Ghats watching people bathing, worshipping and generally cremating folk! First thing in the morning I found Varanasi overly dirty and squalid for my waking up sensibilities, and very much how I imagine Medieval London or Paris must have looked. Encountered my first leper, which again is a bit of a reality wakener!
I've decided that if I'm going to keep my good temper a day fighting through street hawkers in the city is not my best option, so along with Joan, Glen, Micheal and Jamie, I'm going to head off on cycle rickshaws to the nearby temple of Saranath, (where allegedly Buddah gave his first blessing)!
Tomorrow it's an early morning start on route Kathmandu, (our final destination). It's ten hours to the Nepal border, (where we spend the night), and then another days travelling before we get there. I'll zap you as I can!
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