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Published: December 22nd 2009
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Darjeeling
post for Alex It was cold in Darjeeling but necessary to stay overnight since Malin was showing symptoms of rabies, she was bitten by a 'cute' dog in Sikkim, Astonishingly enough the doctor said all was normal!
The bags we're getting to heavy so two medieval looking packages wrapped in cheese cotton sealed with candle wax were sent home, We hopped into a full shared taxi jeep and got out of the city just before it came to a stand still due to a demonstration for independence.
Travelling through India is always quit an adventure, we usually become the centre of attention in trains and buses were questions asked are limited to ''were you from?'' ''married?'' ''kids?''
Luckily explaining it to one Indian is enough because he then translates it to the rest of the wagon which leads to many nods and smiles and misunderstandings, we just smile and wave!!
It is incredible that in a country so devoted to good karma and love, there are only prearranged marriages. Which means that loads of songs and story's are about; lost love's, young love, impossible love, passion full love etc.
Sometimes an entertainer drops in singing his love song's or performing circus acts, which
made the ride to Varanasie a bit nicer, a 12 hour super fast direct express train, that in the end took 24 hours.....
It is always kind of unsure were you get dropped of, and in this case the train to Varanasie led to a town 20 km away from Varanasie. So a rickshaw into town that drives happily while shooting a salvo of the usual ''first time?'' questions at us. He can't take us into the vast network of narrow, winding, confusing maze of small back alleys. So we're dropped off to find our own way, tired and dusty but happy to arrive with so many direct impressions, while dodging shit, passing cows, motors, bicycles, trolleys and loads of Indians who gladly point the way with or without giant packets on their heads. We found a place right behind the main cremating Ghat Manikarnika. Now, why do you not piss against the wind?
Manikarnika Ghat.
We walk down some stairs, past piles of wood and giant weight scales. It's black everywhere and there are flakes of dust flying through the smoky air. Passing Indians, we stand on a tempelbalcony and see them carry the dead on a
bamboo stretcher through the little alleys, down to the water, where they dip the body in the river.
Standing in the smoke looking at a corpse burn is a bit uncomfortable but the ceremony is absolutely interesting. This is their last journey and the most sacred, everything is done with a care and nonchalance. We watch amazed and are so alien here.
Walking along the Ganga is fantastically intense and getting there can be an adventure on it's own, jumping aside for bulls, or a group of drummers running by in the tiny alleys. It is so full of life and everybody is very occupied with his or hers busyness.
Boats are being build, fixed and painted, clothes are being smashed on the rocks to get them clean, holy man sitting to be smoked and stoned, loads off people just sitting watching, praying, talking. Whole herds of cows and buffalo's are washed or merely stand in the cool water.
The mud build up in monsoon must be cleaned too, with fire-hoses and holy water you better make way...
Although a bit draining from time to time because there are many things that many Indians would like you to
buy from them. Boat sir? Chai sir? Massage madam? Ear cleaning sir? Postcards sir? But who has time for that when trying to avoid a herd of buffalo's on the run. Surprisingly we also found places to enjoy the peace & quiet flow off the Mighty Ganga while sitting with a chai (tea), the boats passing bye watching the sun go down while a flute man gives his best performance showing his flutes to sell.
We were very fortunate to witness the Durgja Pujha, after weeks of sacrifices and worshipping statues of their gods. Loads of Indians gather guided by drums carrying small & giant statues of sacred gods trough the streets to drop them into the Ganga from boats or of the ghats.
That's impressive!
At night we went to the main ghat for the massive ceremony. One Indian took his chance and grabbed Malin's boob, that young Indian made a mistake not easily forgotten since Malin suddenly turned around and hit him with a fist. Before the situation exploded with an immediate attention response of all his friends we we're gone to higher ground, from which we had a good overview.
The next day at sunrise we
took a boat ride and saw the waking rituals of Varanasie. The wooden skeletons of these dropped in statues were being harvested. People make a living out of anything here. Amazing to see them bathing, to smell the incense, to feel the sun and the rocking waves of Ganga, while being gently rowed upstream by boat.
With an incredible amount of impressions to reflect upon we left for the Valley of Flowers, a place we never saw due to heavy non stop rain that go hand in hand with landslides.
So on to Rishikesh then, what a place, almost like the Greek myth 'the island of desires'. Everything was nice relaxed and laid back.
It lays higher up the holy Ganga and many pilgrims come her to bathe and honour the gods. We enjoyed the peace and excellent food and 'escaped' from India for a second. Doing yoga enjoying music concerts, meditating inner balance and happy cleaning was all found and ran along with an interesting festival. We walked along the Ganga or just had a day on the beach with a book. Loads of studying was done in Dutch and Swedish with real conversation to (un)fortunate fellow
travellers. Dams where build at waterfalls, flute was played and loads of shopping done and more packages send...
Getting colder but still no snow to board on, we decided to leave Himachal Pradesh till next time due to a longing for the tropical ocean beaches and so we move straight to Agra to see and feel the mighty loved Taj Mahal. So after six whole weeks of Rishikesh! we had to rip our self loose and get a move on to see a bit more of India.
Next Rahjastan and it's sand castle's and camel farts.
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Bram
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Love the stories!
Vincent and Malin, Love your stories, keep them coming! Will you still be meeting Daan and Nienke somewhere in Indonesia?